Amitabh Behar appointed as interim Executive Director of Oxfam International

Oxfam International is pleased to announce the appointment of Amitabh Behar as its new interim Executive Director. Behar is currently Executive Director for Oxfam India. He will assume the role for approximately 12 months, starting on 1 May 2023.

Behar said that he is “honored and delighted to take up this role” and eager to “work alongside Oxfam’s partners and allies around the world to fight for climate justice, tackle inequality in all its forms, and save, protect and rebuild lives when disaster strikes.”

Behar, who has made valuable contributions to Oxfam’s global transformation process that has seen the confederation become more aligned and globally balanced since joining Oxfam India in 2018, brings a wealth of leadership experience as a civil society leader. He has been widely recognized for his work on people-centric advocacy, governance accountability, social and economic equality, and citizen participation. Prior to Oxfam, Behar was the Executive Director of the National Foundation for India and Co-Chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty. He has also served as the Vice-Chair of the Board of CIVICUS and Board Chair of Amnesty International India. He currently serves on the boards of several other organizations, including the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability, an Indian public policy think-tank.

Gabriela Bucher is joining The Fund for Global Human Rights on the 30th of May. Bucher congratulated Behar on his appointment and said she would begin immediately to work closely with him to ensure a smooth transition of leadership. Oxfam International’s Board is profoundly grateful to Bucher for her leadership and wishes her the very best as she moves on to new challenges.