The UN Resident Coordinator Office
In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution ---- that envisioned the most comprehensive reform in the history of the UN development system.
With the backdrop of the 2030 Agenda, the reform aims to reposition the UN development system as a more transparent, coordinated, accountable, and effective development partner to the Member States.
The UN Resident Coordinator, who is the highest-ranking development official to represent the UN system in the country, leads the UN Country Team, as the designated representative of the UN Secretary-General for development operations.
The Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO) provides assistance to the Resident Coordinator. The office is responsible for coordinating development coordination work, joint programming initiatives, Agenda 2030 and joint programs. This is carried out in accordance with the goals and priorities set forth by the government as well as the mandates and goals of the UN agencies.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Maldives
Mr. Zhang brings more than 27 years of professional experience to the role, including over 17 years with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He joined ADB in January 2008 as a procurement specialist and held a series of positions of increasing responsibility, including Senior Advisor to the Vice President for South, Central and West Asia, Principal Urban Development Specialist in the Urban Development and Water Division (CWUW) , Deputy Country Director in China, OIC Director and Advisor in the East Asian Development Department, and Advisor to Director General of Portfolio Procurement and Financial Management Department.
Prior to joining ADB, he was a municipal engineer and project officer at the World Bank Resident Mission in Beijing from 2002 to 2008.
Mr. Zhang holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, and a university degree in civil and environmental engineering from Tongji University, China.
