Professional History: Girma Amente PhD is the African Union's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and World Trade Organisation. He was appointed to the positions in August 2025. Prior to these roles, he held several high-level government positions, including as Agriculture Minister for Ethiopia, a position in which he served for more than two years.

Previously, he was the Vice President and Coordinator of Infrastructure for Oromia Regional Government in Ethiopia. He was also formerly the Head of the Urban Development and Housing Bureau for Oromia State and before that, Minister of Public Enterprises in Ethiopia in Prime Minister’s Abiy Ahmed’s federal government.

He has served as a member on the Board of Directors for the following institutions: Oromia International Bank (private), Oromia State Investment Promotion Commission, Oromia Water Works, Design and Supervision Enterprise, and The Development Corridors of Oromia State. He has extensive experience in the area of participatory and sustainable forest management and has worked as a counterpart with bilateral organizations such as GTZ and JICA and NGOs such as FARM Africa and SOS Sahel. He is one of the leading role players in designing an effective development approach and strategies to ensure food security and alleviate poverty in the country.

Academic and professional credentials: BSc in Forestry, Haramaya University, Ethiopia
MSc in Production Forestry Swedish Agriculture University
Ph.D. in Civil Culture from Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany

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