UN chief appoints Xu Haoliang of China as deputy head of UNDP

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced the appointment of Xu Haoliang from China as the new Undersecretary-General and Associate Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP). 

An overview of the news

• Xu Haoliang will succeed Usha Rao-Monari from India in this role. 

• Xu has been serving as the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support at the UNDP since 2019. 

• Prior to that, from 2013 to 2019, he held the position of UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.

• He has worked in various capacities within the United Nations, undertaking assignments both in the field and at headquarters in regions such as Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Central Asia. 

• Before joining the United Nations, Xu worked in the field of civil engineering in China and the United States. 

• His academic qualifications include a bachelor's degree in engineering from Tongji University in China, a master's degree in management science from the Stevens Institute of Technology in the United States, and a master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University. 

• Xu is proficient in Chinese, English, and Russian.

About The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 

• It is the leading agency of the United Nations.

• It works to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality in 170 countries and territories.

• It helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 

• Its work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.