Dato' Seri Paduka Maimunah binti Mohd Sharif (born 26 August 1961) is the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). She assumed office in January 2018, becoming the first Asian woman to serve as Executive Director of UN-Habitat. On 20 January 2022, she was re-elected by the UN General Assembly for a two-year term that ends on 19 January 2024. From January 2019 to January 2020 she also concurrently served as the Acting Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). She holds the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations in the UN System and sits on the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination and the Secretary-General's Senior Management Group. Prior to her appointment as Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Sharif was the Mayor of Penang Island, Malaysia. Before her appointment as Mayor, she was the President of the Municipal Council of Seberang Perai from 2011, the first woman to be appointed to the position. Family, early life and education Sharif was born and raised in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, the daughter of Mohd Sharif bin Idu (father) and Shariah binti Adam (mother), together with four brothers and a sister. She undertook her primary school education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Dua, and her secondary school education at Tunku Kurshiah Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan. She attended the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Town Planning Studies. She also holds a Master of Science in Planning Studies from the Malaysia Science University. She is married to Adli Lai they have two daughters. Career Sharif led a team which planned and implemented urban renewal projects in George Town, the capital of the Malaysian island of Penang. In November 2009, as its General Manager, Ms. Sharif established George Town World Heritage Incorporated and managed the George Town World Heritage Site, which was inscribed by UNESCO in July 2008. From 2017 to 2018, she served as the Mayor of the city council of Penang Island, Malaysia. Following her nomination by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the United Nations General Assembly elected Maimunah Sharif as the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme UN-Habitat on 22 December 2017. She was appointed by the UN Secretary General António Guterres for a four-year term. With the UN On 22 January 2018, Sharif assumed her post at UN-Habitat's Headquarters