Guterres Appoints New Head For Asia, Pacific Regional Bureau At UNDP - Spokesman

UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2019) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Kanni Wignaraja of Sri Lanka to serve as Assistant-Secretary-General and director for the UN Development Program's Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Monday.

"The Secretary-General is appointing today Kanni Wignaraja of Sri Lanka as the next Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific in the UN Development Program," Dujarric told reporters.

Wignaraja, who will succeed Haoliang Xu of China, recently served as UNDP Bureau for Management Services Acting Assistant Administrator and Director and as Special Adviser to the UNDP Administrator, Dujarric said.

Prior to serving in these positions, Wignaraja worked as director of the United Nations Development Operations Coordination Office from 2014 to 2018.

Wignaraja has more than 25 years of experience at the United Nations and has worked specifically on the sustainable development agenda. She joined the organization in 1995 and has since worked at the UNDP headquarters in New York as well as in the Pacific, Asia and Africa.