New Delhi: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday announced the appointment of Kamal Kishore as the Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
Kishore succeeds Mami Mizutori from Japan. UN Secretary-General Guterres expressed gratitude for Mizutori's dedication and service to the organisation and also commended Paola Albrito, the current UNDRR Director, who will continue serving as the Acting Special Representative until Kishore assumes his new role.
With an extensive career spanning nearly three decades in disaster risk reduction, climate action, and sustainable development at various levels, Kishore currently serves as the Head of the Department of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in India. He holds the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, a position he has held since 2015.
During India's presidency of the G20, Kishore led the G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction and played a significant role in the development of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Climate Action Summit in 2019.
Before joining NDMA, Kishore spent almost 13 years with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in various capacities in Geneva, New Delhi, and New York. During this time, he led global advocacy efforts to integrate disaster resilience concerns into the Sustainable Development Goals and oversaw a global team of disaster risk reduction advisers to support UNDP programme countries.
Prior to his tenure at UNDP, Kishore served as Director of Information and Research and Manager of the Extreme Climate Events Programme at the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre in Bangkok from 1996 to 2002. He also worked as an Architect at the Action Research Unit for Development in New Delhi from 1992 to 1994, contributing to post-earthquake reconstruction projects.
Kishore holds a Master of Science degree in Urban Planning, Land, and Housing Development from the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee.