August 25, 2025
Ambassador and Permanent Representative-designate to the United Nations, Col (Rtd) Alhaji Fanday Turay Esq. yesterday promised President Julius Maada Bio that he intends “to facilitate the process of honouring our financial and other commitments to the UN promptly more especially our assessed contribution and our pledge to the Peace building Fund”.
He was at State House yesterday, where he met with the President to bid and take leave of him as he heads to New York to replace Dr. Alie Kabba in that position.
The Permanent Rep-designate also said he intends to leverage on the country’s coordinator ship, “of the African Group in New York on issues relating to Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity.”
Accredited also as Ambassador to Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, and Cuba, Col Fanday Turay promised to further focus his attention on sharing within the relevant UN bodies the key elements of the updated version of our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), “to mitigate and adapt to Climate Change which has already been submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).”
Additionally, he pledged to pursue whatever agreements and commitments that will be made to Sierra Leone during the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 26), which will be held in Glasgow in the United Kingdom, within the United Nations System. For him, this is critical as Sierra Leone is viewed as the third most vulnerable to the effects of Climate Change.
In collaboration with the other relevant Member States, the Ambassador said he would facilitate the formal opening of the Permanent Observer Mission of the g7 Plus to the United Nations. In July 2019, on behalf of nineteen other countries, Sierra Leone wrote to the UN General Assembly during its seventy-fourth session requesting observer status for the Group of Seven Plus in the General Assembly.
He thanked President Bio for the opportunity to serve in his administration. The Ambassador also promised his utmost commitment and dedication in the successful pursuance of his mandate.
President Bio praised the ambassador- designate for his wide range of knowledge on the subject matter. He congratulated and wished him well on his new appointment. Also, he admonished the envoy that notwithstanding his knowledge, there are challenges and complexities ahead as well, but assured him of his continued support.
Ambassador-designate Turay served the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces from 1990 until 2011 when he retired as a Colonel. He also worked with the United Nations for over a decade until his resignation recently as Security Adviser at the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in Syria.
See Biography of Appointee
ALHAJI FANDAY TURAY
Mr Alhaji Fanday Turay recently appointed Permanent Representative of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, will also serve as the Sierra Leone Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela concurrently.
Before his appointment, Mr Turay served as Security Adviser at the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in Syria. He has 14 years of experience in peacekeeping with the UN, working in Liberia, Ethiopia, the African Union operations in Mali, the Central Africa Republic and Somalia.
In 2009, he was Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff at the Office of Military Affairs, United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UNDPKO). In 2019, he was appointed by President Bio as Chairman, National Commission for Privatization (NCP) in Sierra Leone.
Between 2008 to 2011, he was Legal Adviser at the Ministry of Defence, Brigade Commander, Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), Battalion Commander, Chief Personnel and Manning, Joint Forces Headquarters, Aide-de-Camp to the Head of State of the Republic of Sierra Leone, and Military Adviser to the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations in New York.
He joined the Sierra Leone Army in 1990 as an Officer Cadet, and participated in ECOWAS regional operations, ECOMOG, in Liberia both in command and staff roles; and retired as a Colonel in 2011.
A lawyer by profession, Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of Sierra Leone, Mr Turay obtained his Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of West London in the United Kingdom; and holds a Master of Laws in International Transport and Maritime Law (LLM) degree from the London Metropolitan University, and Masters in International Affairs (MA) from the University of Ghana; Post Graduate Certificate in Strategic Planning for Security Development from the Cranfield University in the United Kingdom.
He is a proud recipient of Special Commendations from the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations.
The Ambassador was born on 23 September 1967, and he is married to Mrs Mariama Dalanda Turay with three children.