The Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, appointed by the UN Secretary-General, is the head of UN DESA. The Under-Secretary-General advises the Secretary-General on the three pillars of sustainable development – social, economic and environmental, and nurtures key partnerships with governments, UN agencies and civil society organizations. The Under-Secretary-General is assisted by the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development and the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs.
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs
USG M
r. Li Junhua assumed his duties at Headquarters on 30 August 2022. He brings to the position more than 35 years of experience in the diplomatic service, with a strong focus on the promotion of bilateral, regional and global issues. (biography) (statements)
The Under-Secretary-General is responsible for a number of tasks, including:
- managing the Department and its divisions;
- advising the Secretary-General on the three pillars of sustainable development – social, economic and environmental – including the SDGs;
- establishing key partnerships with governments, UN agencies and civil society organizations;
- convening the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs, which is the coordination vehicle within the UN development system; and
- overseeing the Development Account of the United Nations regular budget, which funds programmes implemented by ten different entities in the UN Secretariat.
Assitant Secretary-General for Economic Development
ASG Mr. Navid Hanif assumed office as Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development on 1 July 2022. Mr. Hanif brings to the position more than 30 years of experience in national and international Civil Service, encompassing analytical work, policy-making, programme planning, capacity development, multilateral diplomacy and extensive knowledge of the United Nations system. (biography)
Assitant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs
ASG Ms. Maria-Francesca Spatolisano assumed office as Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs on 1 March 2019. Ms. Spatolisano has 33 years of experience in public service including extensive senior leadership in multilateral affairs. She has served as the European Union Ambassador to the OECD and UNESCO, Monaco and Andorra. (biography)