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Biography

Mr. Richard Dictus (Netherlands) took up his appointment as the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator (RC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative (RR) and Designated Official for security in the Arab Republic of Egypt on 16 January 2017. Richard joined as RC/RR after having served four years as the Executive Coordinator the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme (January 2013 – December 2016). In charge of UNV Richard strategically positioned UNV as an essential part of the UN system by contributing with more than 7000 volunteers and 11,000 online volunteers who ad high professional capacity, who are people centered and value driven with focus on innovation. Richard joined the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a Junior Professional Officer in South Yemen in 1987. He subsequently served in different UNDP capacities in: Sudan (Assistant Resident Representative (Programme), 1990-1992), Lesotho (Assistant Resident Representative (Programme), 1992-1994) and Bangladesh (Assistant Resident Representative (Programme), 1994-1998) in environmental management, rural development, micro finance, human rights and disaster management practice areas. As UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Pakistan (1998-2000), he played a significant role in coordinating humanitarian assistance during floods and cyclones and the safety and security of UN staff. From 2000 to 2001, Richard was a Management Advisor (Deputy Chief), Administrative Services Division, with UNDP’s Bureau of Management (BoM) at UNDP Headquarters in New York. There, he went on to be Deputy Director of Human Resources, BoM, from 2001 to 2005 where he contributed to the change management and transformation processes across the organization. Returning to the field, Richard was UN Resident Coordinator / UNDP Resident Representative in Fiji from 2005 to 2009, where he honed a strong track record for effecting change management. He developed several innovative approaches to UN System coherence across 16 Pacific Island countries and with 15 UN agencies. Richard furthermore served as United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator / United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Malawi (January 2009 – December 2012). During his four years in Malawi, Richard worked towards his vision of a unified and coordinated UN system in Malawi, which supports the country to achieve its development efforts with increased efficiency and innovation. He graduated from the Technical University of Twente in the Netherlands with a Master's degree in Public Administration and Development Studies. He is married with three children.

Speaker Details

Biography

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