UN Secretary-General Guterres Appoints American Shombi Sharp As Resident Coordinator In India

He is a published author of works in health economics and was a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 'policy champion' as well as a nominee for the UNDP administrator's award.

New Delhi: The United Nations has appointed an American diplomat and a sustainable development expert, Shombi Sharp, as the Resident Coordinator in India, PTI reported. Within the world organisation, he has a career spanning '25 years promoting inclusive and sustainable development internationally'.

Sharp has "devoted more than 25 years of his career to promoting inclusive and sustainable development internationally, bringing experience he has acquired at the United Nations and externally to this new position", the UN said in the statement on Monday.

He most recently served as United Nations Resident Coordinator in Armenia. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Shombi Sharp of the United States as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, with the host government's approval, the UN statement said.

The 52-year-old American diplomat with the UN has held several leadership positions at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where he was Resident Representative in Armenia, Deputy Resident Representative in Georgia, Deputy Country Director in Lebanon, Regional HIV/AIDS Practice Team Leader for UNDP Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States in the Russian Federation, Programme Manager for the Western Balkans in New York and Assistant Resident Representative in the Russian Federation.

Sharp holds a postgraduate diploma in HIV/AIDS management from the National Medical University of South Africa and Stellenbosch University in South Africa; a master's degree in economics from the University of Colorado and a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Kansas, PTI reported.

He is a published author of works in health economics and was a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 'policy champion' as well as a nominee for the UNDP administrator's award.

Sharp who arrived in New Delhi on Monday took to Twitter said he was "thrilled" to make Delhi his new home with his wife Sarah.