Locations22 May 2019, Mogadishu. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has today welcomed its new Resident Representative for its country programme in Somalia, Mr. Jocelyn Mason, to Mogadishu. Mr. Mason, who holds dual British and U.S. citizenship, is joining UNDP Somalia from UNDP Afghanistan where he was acting Resident Representative for the Afghanistan Country Office.
Mr. Mason’s career in development spans over 20 years, including as Country Director of UNDP Mozambique from 2008 to 2012, as Chief of Staff for UNDP’s Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery in 2012-2014 and as Directorate Manager for UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support in 2014 to 2015, before taking up a position as Senior Deputy County Director (Programmes) with UNDP Afghanistan, followed by his role as acting Resident Representative there.
Prior to those roles he has worked in UNDP’s Partnership Bureau as Senior Adviser on multilateral financial institutions and earlier, as Public Administration Reform Advisor for UNDP’s Bureau for Development Policy. He has also worked extensively with the World Bank in Mozambique, Angola and Zambia, and in Eastern Europe.
Mr. Mason holds degrees in Jurisprudence from Oxford University, and in International Relations and International Economics, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington.
He will lead the UNDP country office on a portfolio of key development programmes which support the Government of Somalia, and Somali people, to meet national development priorities, and to respond to and build resilience to drought and climate crises.
Mr. Mason takes over the role from former UNDP Somalia Resident Representative, Mr. George Conway, who after six years in the role, was appointed as acting Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary- General (DSRSG), and acting UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Somalia, under the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).
Media Contact:
Keelin FitzGerald, Communications Specialist, United Nations Development Programme Somalia. Email: keelin.fitzgerald@undp.org
