Dr. Youba Sokona, a citizen of Mali, has been appointed to be the newest member of the Board of the South Centre. The appointment was made by the Council of Representatives at its meeting on 1 February 2012 upon the recommendation of the Board.

Dr. Sokona is the Coordinator of the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The ACPC is a joint initiative of the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the UNECA. He is also a co-chair of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Working Group III.

Sokona was formerly the Executive Secretary of the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) from June 2004 to May 2010. Before joining OSS, he worked for ENDA, a regional NGO based in Dakar, Senegal. Prior to that, he served as a university professor at Bamako in Mali. He has published several books and articles on the issues of energy, environment and development with a focus on Africa. He has broad experience and expertise in the areas of sustainable development.