RR interviews Dr Kandeh Yumkella, former UN Under-Secretary General, senior advisor to the President of Sierra Leone, and RR Global Advisory Council member.
The focus of this interview, the second of RR’s ‘big topic’ conversations, is ‘How can Africa benefit more from its natural resources?’
Originally from Sierra Leone, Kandeh is a distinguished development economist who had a high-flying career at the UN. A former UN Under-Secretary General and founding CEO of the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative, Kandeh was also Director-General for two terms of UN Industrial Development Organisation.
He is now a senior figure back in Sierra Leone, chairing the President’s Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security, and acting as the President’s special envoy to ECOWAS.
Kandeh currently co-chairs the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals at the Paris Peace Forum. We are delighted he also sits on the Global Advisory Council of Resource Resolutions, alongside a number of other leading figures.
Please note: Kandeh is talking in a personal capacity rather than representing the Government of Sierra Leone or any other organisation, and also his views are his own rather than necessarily those of RR.
Kandeh was interviewed by Daniel Litvin, Founder and CEO of RR. The producer was Ben MacLeod, Associate at RR. The interview was conducted on 24th June 2026.
Below are some key excerpts from the interview. The full interview can be accessed at the bottom of the page.
Resource Resolutions 