Judy Cheng-Hopkins was appointed as the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support on 17 August 2009.
Before joining the PBSO in New York, Ms. Cheng-Hopkins was the UN’s Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees from 15 February 2006, position in which she oversaw all UNHCR operations around the world.
Prior to this job, Ms. Cheng-Hopkins was the Director of the World Food Programme Office in New York. From 1997 to 2000 she was Director of WFP’s Asia and Eastern Europe region where she oversaw large and complex emergency operations. Prior to that, she served UNDP in Africa for 10 years, first in Zambia (1982-1988), then in Kenya (1988-1992) and as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa (2002-2003).
Ms. Cheng-Hopkins received a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University (1978), USA. She has also received diplomas from Université d’Haute Bretagne in Rennes, France and Harvard University, USA.
Ms. Cheng-Hopkins is Malaysian. She is married and mother of two daughters.