The IAEA Board of Governors, on 28th January 2025 elected Ambassador Matilda Aku Alomatu Osei Agyeman as the Chairperson of the IAEA’s Board of Governors for a term which expires in September 2025. She succeeds Ambassador Philbert Abaka Johnson of Ghana.
Ghana was elected as a member of the Board in September 2024 for a 2-year term (2024-2026).
The Board of Governors is one of the two policy-making bodies of the IAEA, along with the annual General Conference of IAEA Member States.
The Board examines and makes recommendations to the General Conference on the IAEA’s financial statements, programme and budget. It considers applications for membership, approves safeguards agreements and the publication of the IAEA’s safety standards. It also appoints the Director General of the IAEA, with the approval of the General Conference.
The Board generally meets five times per year: in March and June, twice in September (before and after the General Conference) and in November.
Matilda Aku Alomatu Osei-Agyeman has been a career diplomat serving at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for over twenty-five (25) years. She has held various positions at home and abroad assisting in both bilateral and multilateral issues in respect of Ghana’s Foreign Policy.
Prior to taking up the role as Ambassador, Matilda was the Minister Plenipotentiary/Deputy Ambassador at the Embassy of the Republic of Ghana to the Italian Republic (2023-2024).
She served as the Director of the Europe Bureau (2021-2023); and Candidatures Portfolio (2021) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana (MFARI).
Other assignments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ghana included her role as the Deputy Chief of Protocol (2013-2016); Personal Assistant to the Chief Director of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2007-2008); Assistant Director of the Multilateral Cooperation Bureau, (2006-2007); Assistant Director at the following Bureaux: Americas, Policy Planning and Research, as well as Information, Culture and Linguistic, respectively (1999-2002).
As far as other diplomatic postings are concerned, Matilda has also served at the Ghana High Commission to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2017-2020); the Ghana High Commission in Valletta, Malta (2016-2017); Ghana’s Diplomatic Mission in Washington D.C. (2008-2012); and at Ghana’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland with responsibility for some UN Agencies in both Geneva and Vienna, Austria (2002-2006).
The Ambassador holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of Arts degree in Internationals Affairs, respectively from University of Ghana, Legon. She also holds certificates in various fields such as Strategic Economic Diplomacy, Promotion of Trade and Investment, UN sustainable development goals; drafting UN Resolutions; Women’s Leadership; Conflict Analysis & Mediation; Child Labour issues; and Climate Change Peace and Security, respectively.
Mrs. Osei-Agyeman is fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French.
