The UN Resident Coordinator's Office
The UN Resident Coordinator leads the United Nations development operations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as the representative of the Secretary-General and the highest-ranking UN official in the country, in line with the 2019 reforms of the UN Development System.
The UN Resident Coordinator leads the work of the UN Country Team in support of the DPRK’s national priorities as reflected in the Strategic Framework between the United Nations and the DPRK, in line with all international norms and standards, and drawing on the support and guidance of the entire UN system.
The UN Country Team consists of the representatives of UN entities signatories of the Strategic Framework. They leverage their respective strengths and comparative advantages to maximize impact through coherent programmes and reduced transaction costs.
The Office of the Resident Coordinator (RCO) supports the work of the RC and facilitates cooperation and coordination among agencies, funds and programmes in the DPRK, for both resident and non-resident UN entities.
The UN Resident Coordinator in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Mr. Joe Colombano of Italy was appointed as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by UN Secretary-General António Guterres with the host Government’s approval. He assumed his role on 1 March 2024
Mr. Colombano has over 25 years of experience in international relations and negotiations on development issues with the multilateral system, including at Headquarters and in the field. Within the Organization, he served most recently as Head of the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator to China in Beijing. He was previously with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General in New York, where he served for almost a decade, including as Director for Sustainable Development. In that role, he coordinated the office’s political strategy to facilitate the international agreement on the Sustainable Development Goals. He also served as Senior Adviser to the World Health Organization (WHO) Special Envoy for COVID-19 in Geneva.
An economist by training, Mr. Colombano built a career in development finance, first at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and later in London, at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, including as Adviser to its Board of Directors. His field experience includes roles in the private sector in Bangkok, Thailand; with the Central Bank of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Kinshasa; in addition to many official missions to the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Mr. Colombano is a member of the Advisory Council of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, United States. He is the author of “Learning from the World: New Ideas to Redevelop America” published by Palgrave McMillan, in addition to numerous academic papers on economic development and international affairs.
Mr. Colombano holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University, a master’s degree in international political economy from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, and a Master of Laws in Chinese law from the University of Hong Kong, China. He is married and has three daughters.
