Ms. Karl is the Executive Secretary of the UN Capital Development Fund. She started her career in the private sector as a Management Consultant with a focus on optimizing business operations in the US private banking and real estate sectors.
Ms. Karl moved to UNDP in 1988, starting as a management support officer in the Personnel division in New York. She has occupied management positions in UNDP Mali and Cambodia where she led programmes in local development finance, decentralisation, small and medium enterprise development, demining, and crisis response.
Ms. Karl served for six years as the head of strategy and policy for UNDP’s Crisis prevention and recovery, was the Deputy Director in UNDP’s Washington Liaison office, and served five years as head of UNDP’s operational performance group. Ms. Karl joined UNCDF as Executive Secretary in August 2014.
Seoul, SOUTH KOREA - April 8, 2019 - Good morning. I deeply appreciate the privilege of officially opening NAP Expo 2019. I would like to extend my profound thanks to the LEG as well as the UNFCCC for organizing this critically important gathering.
NEW YORK, USA - March 8, 2019 - Greetings on International Women’s Day—a day that calls on us to Think Equal, Build Smart, and Innovate for Change—so that we can envision and work towards a truly gender-equal world.
NEW YORK, USA - September 11, 2018 - This meeting comes at a time of hugely exciting innovation that is happening to scale up the contributions towards the SDGs. Public agencies like mine, and private investors like you, are increasingly trying to figure out ways to work together to see more capital flow to projects that not only generate profit, but which help tackle poverty, empower women, and safeguard our environment.
NEW YORK, USA - June 26, 2018 - Good morning ladies and gentleman. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to New York. This learning and sharing event comes at an opportune moment when we are starting to see the potential of financial inclusion in helping to achieve the SDGs.
NEW YORK, USA - June 8, 2018 - Mr President, Distinguished Members of the Executive Board, Colleagues. Thank you, Ambassador Park, for chairing this session. And thank you, Tege, for those introductory remarks. The ties that bind UNCDF and UNDP are more important than ever. Our work together at the country, regional, and headquarters levels builds on our distinct collaborative advantages.
NEW YORK, USA - March 8, 2018 - Greetings on International Women’s Day, when the attention of the world focuses on the urgent need to achieve equal rights for women and girls. At the United Nations Capital Development Fund, we work to ensure that finance works for women in the world’s 47 poorest countries.
NEW YORK, USA - January 24, 2018 - Mr President, Distinguished Members of the Executive Board, Colleagues, Thank you Ambassador Koonjul for chairing this session. Thank you, Associate Administrator, for your introductory remarks. As you highlighted, the new UNDP Strategic Plan and UNCDF Strategic Framework recognise the clear benefits of building on our comparative advantages.
NEW YORK, USA - September 8, 2017 - Thank you for joining us at this session to discuss the UNCDF operational reserve. The UNCDF operational reserve for regular resources was established in 1979 by the Governing Council, now the Executive Board.
NEW YORK, USA - June 2, 2017 - Thank you Ambassador Petersen for chairing this session. And thank you to the UNDP Acting Administrator for those introductory remarks.
NEW YORK,USA - May 24, 2017 - Thank you all for attending today’s side event on “Urban Finance as a Game Changer for LDCs”. I thank the Financing for Development Office of DESA and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) for co-organizing this discussion.
NEW YORK, USA - April 24, 2017 - Ambassador Petersen, Delegates, Colleagues, Thank you, Ambassador Petersen, for those welcoming remarks, and thank you all for joining us today.
NEW YORK, USA Mar 08, 2017 - Two years ago, Member States of the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
NEW YORK, USA, Jan 30, 2017 - Thank you very much for joining us this evening to mark the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Capital Development Fund.
NEW YORK, USA, Dec 13, 2016 - "Today UNCDF celebrates its 50th anniversary. Much has changed in the world since UNCDF’s..."
NEW YORK, USA, Oct 17, 2016 - "The theme of this year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is "Moving from..."
NEW YORK, USA, Sep 20, 2016 - "Excellencies, Distinguished panelist, I thank the Government of Bangladesh for organizing this..."
NEW YORK, USA, Sep 09, 2016 - "Welcome and thank you very much for attending today’s briefing on the role of concessional finance..."
NEW YORK, USA, Jun 09, 2016 - "Mr President, Distinguished Members of the Executive Board, Colleagues, Thank you Ambassador..."
ANTALYA, TURKEY, May 29, 2016 - "Ambassador Lambertini, Excellencies, Distinguished panelists, Colleagues, Ladies and gentlement..."
ANTALYA, TURKEY, May 28, 2016 - "Excellencies, Distinguished panelists, Colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen, Thanks for joining us..."
ANTALYA, TURKEY, May 28, 2016 - "Excellencies, Distinguished panelists, Colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you all for attending..."
ANTALYA, TURKEY, May 26, 2016 - "Thank you for your question and for organizing this event on a very pertinent topic for the LDCs..."
ANTALYA, TURKEY, May 26, 2016 - "Excellencies, Distinguished panelists, Colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for inviting..."
ISTANBUL, TURKEY, May 24, 2016 - "Excellencies, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished co-hosts and panelists. It is my..."
NEW YORK, Mar 30, 2016 - "Thank you all for attending today’s side event on “How financial inclusion strategies support..."
NEW YORK, USA, Mar 08, 2016 - "Message from Judith Karl, UNCDF Executive Secretary on the occasion of the International Women's Day..."
Remarks of UNCDF Executive Secretary on the occasion of the Strengthening Resilience and Adaptation to CC through Local Governments.
SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA, Nov 03, 2015 - "Welcome to this important event on “Strengthening Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change..."
NEW YORK, USA, Oct 30, 2015 - "This year, the theme for the World Cities Day, “Designed to live together”, reminds us of the..."
NEW YORK, USA, Oct 17, 2015 - "This year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty comes on the heels of the adoption..."
NEW YORK, USA, Oct 16, 2015 - "Three weeks ago, 193 Member States of United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals,..."
NEW YORK, USA, Sep 29, 2015 - "My thanks go to the United Arab Emirates and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation..."
NEW YORK, USA, Sep 26, 2015 - "I would like to highlight three areas where, in UNCDF’s experience, local and global partnership..."
NEW YORK, USA, Sep 26, 2015 - "We are honored to have Josep Roig, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)..."
HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, Sep 22, 2015 - "Thank you for inviting me to join you at the fifth Pacific Microfinance Week, for which UNCDF..."
HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, Sep 22, 2015 - "Thank you for inviting me to join in the launch of the Solomon Islands financial services Demand..."
SUVA, FIJI, Sep 17, 2015 - "Thank you for inviting me to join in the launch of the Fiji financial services Demand Side Survey..."
NEW YORK, USA, Sep 02, 2015 - "Thank you for joining us today. Thanks to Switzerland for conceiving of this side event..."
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA, Jul 13, 2015 - "The emerging post-­2015 development agenda goes beyond the MDGs in scope and ambition..."
NEW YORK, USA, Jul 10, 2015 - "The United Nations Capital Development Fund played an important role in the Ebola response..."
NEW YORK, USA, Jun 08, 2015 - "It is an honor for me to address you today at this June Executive Board session and to report..."
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, May 26, 2015 - "I welcome you to this roundtable on “Financial Inclusion – Innovation and Impacts” ..."
NEW YORK, USA, Mar 11, 2015 - "Excellency, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen. It is a pleasure to be with you..."
NEW YORK, USA, Jan 30, 2015 - "Mr. President (Chairman), Distinguished Members of the Executive Board. Allow me to begin..."
Speech by Judith Karl, Executive Secretary, UNCDF “Expanding Digital Financial Services MM4P expansion to Benin, Senegal and Zambia. BENIN, SENEGAL AND ZAMBIA, Oct 23, 2014 - "I welcome you to this event on “Expanding Digital Financial Services” hosted by UNCDF..."