Gallantry award recipient Siddharth Chatterjee takes over as top UN Diplomat in China


PTI, Feb 16, 2021, 6:19 PM IST

Senior UN official Siddharth Chatterjee of India has formally taken over as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, a key posting of overseeing the work of 27 agencies, funds and programmes of the global organisation in the world’s most populous country. He will be UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s senior-most UN Representative in China as the UN Resident Coordinator.

Chatterjee, whose early career was in the Indian Army, was decorated for gallantry by the President of India in 1995. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University in the United States, and a bachelor’s degree from the National Defence Academy in India.

Commenting on his new assignment, Chatterjee told PTI here: “Over the past four decades, the world has witnessed the profound economic and social transformations that have taken place in China, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty.

“As the UN Resident Coordinator to China, I look forward to leading the UN Country Team to work with the government to preserve this hard-won progress China has made as well as share China’s vast experience to solve global development challenges and accelerate the drive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.

Chatterjee has spent over 24 years in the United Nations serving in a wide range of positions and organisations. In December last year, UN Secretary-General Guterres appointed Chatterjee as the Resident Coordinator in China with the host government’s approval. Resident Coordinators are the UN Secretary-General’s representatives for development at the country level. They lead UN teams supporting countries to recover better from the COVID-19 pandemic through the SDGs.

A TEDx speaker, he is a regular opinion contributor on humanitarian and development issues for a range of local, regional and international media outlets and journals, the UN said in a statement at the time of his appointment.

Before coming to China, Chatterjee was the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya where Kenya’s Minister for Sports Culture and Heritage Amina Mohammed said that “Chatterjee’s exemplary leadership leaves a lasting footprint in the execution of Government/UN collaboration impacting millions of lives in Kenya and the region.”

“We presented the gift of a giant footprint as a reminder of the unforgettable journey that he has walked with the people of Kenya,” she said in a farewell tweet. A staunch advocate of gender equality and youth empowerment, Chatterjee has also served in Switzerland, Denmark, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan (Darfur), Indonesia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraqi Kurdistan.

He has served in UN Peacekeeping, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the UN Population Fund, the Red Cross movement, United Nations Office for Project Services and UN Security. The highlight of his career was the demobilisation of 3,551 child soldiers in South Sudan when he served with UNICEF during the height of a conflict in 2000.

Observers say by confirming Chatterjee’s appointment, particularly at a time of border tensions with India as well as commencement of India’s two-year term as a non-permanent member in the UN Security Council, Beijing may be indicating its intent to dial down friction with New Delhi and strengthen multilateral cooperation.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Karnataka Health Minister justifies revision of user fees in state-run hospitals

Renukaswamy case: Bail hearing for actor Darshan adjourned to Nov 26

Beware of calls asking for pending traffic fines: Bengaluru police

Smriti Irani embarks on four-nation tour to promote book on PM Modi

Karnataka Milk Federation enters Delhi-NCR, offers competitive pricing on Nandini products

Lone elephant attacks family in Shishila, damages bike

Effort is ours, results are God’s will: DCM DK Shivakumar on K’taka by-elections

Related Articles More

Smriti Irani embarks on four-nation tour to promote book on PM Modi

Karnataka Milk Federation enters Delhi-NCR, offers competitive pricing on Nandini products

Rahul, Congress tried since 2002 to target Modi’s image, PM’s credibility remains high: BJP

Formulate proposal to address inter-state trafficking of bonded labourers: SC to Centre

PM Modi meets top Caribbean leaders, discusses bilateral ties, partnerships for stronger Global South

MUST WATCH

DK Shivakumar

Rose Cultivation

Geethotsava

Naxal Operation

Swimming pool


Latest Additions

BJP stages protests in various districts of Karnataka over alleged Waqf encroachments

Karnataka Health Minister justifies revision of user fees in state-run hospitals

Renukaswamy case: Bail hearing for actor Darshan adjourned to Nov 26

Smriti Irani embarks on four-nation tour to promote book on PM Modi

Beware of calls asking for pending traffic fines: Bengaluru police

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.