Draft:Kanni Wignaraja
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| Submission declined on 1 February 2025 by Thilsebatti (talk). This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of people). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia. This submission is not adequately supported by reliable sources. Reliable sources are required so that information can be verified. If you need help with referencing, please see Referencing for beginners and Citing sources.
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| Submission declined on 15 December 2024 by Greenman (talk). This submission is not adequately supported by reliable sources. Reliable sources are required so that information can be verified. If you need help with referencing, please see Referencing for beginners and Citing sources. Declined by Greenman 5 months ago. | |
Comment: Entire sections are unsourced. See WP:BLP. Statements, starting with the date of birth, need to be sourced or removed. Greenman (talk) 12:45, 15 December 2024 (UTC)
Kanni Wignaraja | |
|---|---|
 | |
| UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations Development Programme | |
| Assumed office 18 November 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Haoliang Xu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 March 1964 (age 61) Sri Lanka |
| Alma mater | Bryn Mawr College Princeton University |
Kanni Wignaraja (born 27 March 1964)[1] is a Sri Lankan development practitioner and senior United Nations official. She currently serves as Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Assistant Administrator, and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).[2] Wignaraja has more than three decades of experience across development cooperation, governance, and crisis response, and is a recognised thought leader on sustainable development issues.
Early life and education
[edit]Wignaraja was born in Sri Lanka and spent her formative years between Sri Lanka and the United States. She completed her undergraduate studies in Economics at Bryn Mawr College, before obtaining a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Development Economics at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.[3]
Early career
[edit]Before joining the United Nations, Wignaraja worked with several national and international development organisations, specialising in governance reforms, capacity development, and sustainable economic policy.[4]
United Nations Career
[edit]Wignaraja's career with the United Nations has been extensive and varied, spanning multiple regions and functions. In 2019, she was appointed as UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, overseeing UNDP's operations across the region, managing programs across 36 countries and territories that focus on economic reforms and sustainability, governance and human rights, crisis and disaster response, energy transition and climate change.[5][6]
Her expertise extends to senior leadership roles in Africa and Asia, as well as in the UN offices in Geneva and New York. Before her current position, she served as the Director of UNDP's Bureau for Management Services, where she oversaw support services for the organisation’s annual operations. This included managing human resources, finances, procurement, and information technology, ensuring the efficiency and accountability of UNDP’s global operations.
From 2014 to 2018, Wignaraja led the UN Development Operations Coordination Office, where she managed a network of over 130 UN Resident Coordinators responsible for delivering the UN’s development assistance in over 165 countries. She has also served as Senior Policy Advisor to the UNDP Administrator and held leadership positions in Vietnam and Zambia.
Partnerships and innovation
[edit]Wignaraja has championed new models of development financing and partnership building. She has led initiatives to expand collaboration with the private sector, philanthropic organisations, and foundations, notably brokering a partnership between UNDP and The Rockefeller Foundation to accelerate sustainable investments across the Asia-Pacific region.[7] She is a vocal proponent of blended finance, impact investing, and the role of digital innovation—including exploring the potential for blockchain and cryptocurrency to support human development.[8]
Development thought leadership
[edit]Wignaraja is an advocate for inclusive and sustainable development, particularly in crisis-affected regions such as Afghanistan and Myanmar. She co-edited The Great Upheaval (2022), a book on development policy in the Asia-Pacific,[9] and authored Capacity Development: A UNDP Primer (2009).[10]
She has written and spoken on universal basic income[11] and co-authored work on climate finance and credit risk assessments for vulnerable countries.[12] She has contributed regularly to forums like the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation,[13][14] and platforms like Project Syndicate[15] and World Economic Forum[16].
Media and public engagements
[edit]She is frequently featured in international media outlets such as CNN, BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, NDTV, and the Financial Times, discussing the role of women and youth in Afghanistan, human security and economic prospects in the wake of climate change, the role of small businesses and social protection, institutional and governance reforms to promote resilience in regions facing conflict and instability.
Interviews on post-earthquake recovery in Myanmar (Channel News Asia[17], NHK[18]), commentary on Afghanistan’s economic collapse and UNDP’s local initiatives[19], and opinion articles on remittances and sustainable financing (Nikkei Asia[20])
Myanmar's Middle Class Disappearing Amidst Crisis – CNN Interview with Kanni Wignaraja. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024. NDTV Exclusive With UNDP Regional Director For Asia & Pacific Kanni Wignaraja. 3 November 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024. [21][22][23][24]
References
[edit]- ^ "Our Leadership". UNDP. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP)". United Nations. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Profile – World Economic Forum". Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Bloomberg Executive Profile: Kanni Wignaraja". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ ."UNDP Asia-Pacific – Regional Director's Profile". Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Kanni Wignaraja".
- ^ "The Rockefeller Foundation – UNDP Partnership". Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Crypto News – UNDP and Cryptocurrencies for Development". 18 February 2025. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "The Great Upheaval". UNDP. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Capacity Development: A UNDP Primer". UNDP. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ Wignaraja, Kanni (17 April 2020). "Universal basic income is the answer to the inequalities exposed by COVID-19".
- ^ Wignaraja, Emily Wilkinson & Kanni (11 December 2023). "Credit Ratings and Climate Chaos". Project Syndicate.
- ^ "The Art of Leadership in the United Nations". Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Leadership not by title: Interview with Kanni Wignaraja". Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Project Syndicate". Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "World Economic Forum". Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Kanni Wignaraja on looking ahead to recovery after Myanmar earthquake". 31 March 2025.
- ^ "UN to boost support for Myanmar women and children". 24 April 2025.
- ^ Economic Challenges & Women's Employment in Afghanistan: Press Conference.
- ^ "It's time to reevaluate remittances for development". Nikkei Asia. 16 March 2025.
- ^ "Humanitarian relief can't be used to patch up Afghanistan's 'completely collapsed' economy, UN says". CNBC. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Kanni Wignaraja, (UN)Development Program: Profile and Biography". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ UNDP in Asia and the Pacific (16 April 2024). Myanmar's Middle Class Disappearing Amidst Crisis – CNN Interview with Kanni Wignaraja. Retrieved 13 December 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Humanitarian relief can't be used to patch up Afghanistan's 'completely collapsed' economy, UN says". CNBC. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
External links
[edit]
United Nations Profile of Kanni Wignaraja UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Director Page UNDP Leadership Profile World Economic Forum Author Page World Bank Live Expert Page