The highest UN official, direct spokesperson of the UN Secretary General in Namibia assumes office

The newly appointed UN Resident Coordinator in Namibia, Mr. Sen Pang, was received at State House during an official ceremony this week.

In the light of the UN Reform, Pang will be the highest UN official and direct spokesperson of the UN Secretary General in Namibia.

Pang will play a vital role in the reinvigorated Resident Coordinator System leading the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) to deliver collective responses to Namibia’s development challenges and ensure system wide accountability.

“The Reform has set the pace to transform the UN Development System, to deliver better results for people on the ground. In Namibia, the UN System is proud to be recognised as a ‘Partner of Choice’ to the Government of the Republic of Namibia, and will continue to build on this partnership, making the UN System fit for the purpose, opportunities and challenges presented by the 2030 Agenda,” said Pang.

Welcoming Mr. Pang to Namibia, the President HE Dr Hage Geingob, narrated Namibia’s long history with the United Nations, highlighting that Namibia is a child of international solidarity, midwifed by the United Nations.

Pang assumes this position with a wealth of experience in multilateral affairs and diplomacy. He has worked in areas of peace and security, arms control and disarmament, economic development, promotion and protection of human rights. At the United Nations, he has served with the United Nations Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) as Senior Activity Evaluation Officer from 2000 to 2005, under the leadership of the Swedish diplomat and politician Hans Martin Blix the head of UNMOVIC.

After his assignment with the United Nations, Pang served as Director-General of China’s United Nations Association from 2005 to 2010. During that period, he was also elected as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA). From 2010 to 2019, Mr. Pang held the positions of Deputy Director-General, Director-General and Ambassador in the Foreign Ministry of China.

Pang holds a post-graduate degree from the Beijing Foreign Studies University and a bachelor’s degree in English and American literature from Fudan University, Shanghai. He is the author of several books and articles, which include writings on Contemporary Human Rights and the History of the UN over the past 60 years.

Pang concluded by noting that the UN System in Namibia stands ready to continue providing the necessary support to ensure that the country moves towards greater heights of sustainable human development.

The RC reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to ‘Deliver Together’ as a cohesive unit maximising on its competitive advantage, resources, technical expertise and experience, leveraging regional and global capacities to produce better results to support Namibia in achieving Vision 2030.