The governing board of the Natural Resource Governance Institute, NRGI, has announced Suneeta Kaimal as the new president and chief executive officer of the independent non-profit organization.
Kaimal, currently NRGI’s interim president and CEO, joined the organization in 2009 and has previously served as its deputy director and chief operating officer.
“NRGI’s trajectory requires someone who understands the resource governance field in all its dimensions and also engages with the implications of the unprecedented disruptions through which we’re living,” said Smita Singh, interim chair of NRGI’s governing board.
“After a rigorous and thorough global search that yielded numerous excellent candidates, the board decided that Suneeta offers the ideal combination of attributes: a vision for the future, interdisciplinary knowledge of the issues involved in the management of extractives in resource-rich countries, extensive external networks and a deep understanding of NRGI’s internal strengths. This uniquely qualifies her to guide NRGI through the exciting changes it needs to continue to deliver for the communities it serves. The board is unanimously confident in Suneeta’s ability to carry forward the work for which NRGI is known while also adapting to the dramatic changes we’re seeing in the world.”
Kaimal will lead NRGI’s ambitious agenda for 2021, building on the successes of a challenging 2020. NRGI program teams are working with national and international civil society organizations, multilateral bodies and governments to: facilitate the transition to more climate-friendly futures in countries dependent on fossil fuel extraction; support countries with significant mineral deposits to meet increased demand for critical minerals in ways that benefit their citizens while minimizing corruption and environmental impact; tackle resource-related debt; and defend and advance governance, environmental and social standards.
“We are at an unprecedented moment of inflection in the field of natural resource governance,” said Kaimal. “Confronting the tremendous economic impacts of the global pandemic and the persistence of the climate emergency requires new, transformative thinking. I am proud and privileged to have the opportunity as president and CEO to build on NRGI’s successes and innovate to meet this challenge. Together with NRGI’s remarkable staff, eminent board members and advisors, committed funders and accomplished partners I am confident we can unlock a more sustainable and just future for resource-rich countries.”
NRGI’s objective is to secure a future where countries rich in oil, gas and minerals achieve sustainable, equitable and inclusive development, helping ensure that citizens receive lasting benefits from extractives and that the negative impacts associated with the sector are minimized. The organization operates in more than a dozen resource-rich countries in Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, Eurasia, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia-Pacific.
“Now, more than ever, good governance in natural resources is the keystone to advancing economic resilience and social justice for more than one billion people living in poverty in resource-rich countries,” Kaimal added. “We at NRGI are undaunted by the magnitude of the challenges and emboldened to seize the opportunities ahead.”
Kaimal succeeds president emeritus Daniel Kaufmann, who served NRGI from 2013 until February 2020.
