Kanni Wignaraja
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 | |
| Regional Director | Kanni Wignaraja |
| Preceded by | Haoliang Xu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sri Lanka |
| Alma mater | Bryn Mawr College, Princeton University |
Kanni Wignaraja is a Sri Lankan development practitioner and United Nations official who currently serves as an Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).[1][2] She has held high-ranking positions across the UN system and contributes to global development discourse through publications and media appearances.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Wignaraja was born in Sri Lanka. She earned a degree in economics from Bryn Mawr College in the United States and a Master's in Public Administration (MPA) from Princeton University, where she focused on development economics.[4]
Career
[edit]Wignaraja began her career in international development in the early 1990s, working with national and international organisations to promote governance reforms and strengthen institutional capacity.[5] She held key positions within UNDP country offices in Zambia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.[6]
United Nations career
[edit]From 2014 to 2018, Wignaraja served as Director of the UN Development Operations Coordination Office (DOCO), where she oversaw more than 130 UN Resident Coordinators.[2] Prior to that, she led the UNDP Bureau for Management Services, implementing institutional reform and integrated service delivery.[7]
In November 2019, she was appointed as UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. In this role, she oversees strategic development programming in 36 countries and territories, with a focus on climate action, inclusive growth, and governance.[1]
On 19 June 2025, Wignaraja briefed the United Nations Security Council during a high-level debate on development and peacebuilding. She addressed the importance of climate resilience, inclusive recovery, and poverty reduction as enablers of lasting peace.[8][9]
Thought leadership
[edit]Wignaraja is the co-editor of The Great Upheaval (2022), a UNDP-published book analysing emerging development trends in Asia-Pacific.[10] She is also the lead author of Capacity Development: A UNDP Primer (2009), which explores the UN's approach to institutional strengthening.[11]
She has publicly advocated for universal basic income as a response to growing inequality during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] In 2023, she co-authored an op-ed on climate-related credit risks for vulnerable countries.[13]
Media and public engagement
[edit]Wignaraja has appeared on major international media platforms including CNN, BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, and NDTV, discussing topics ranging from development financing to gender equity and humanitarian crises.[14][15]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "UNDP Regional Leadership". UNDP. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP)". UN.org. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Can climate finance ever reach the most vulnerable countries?". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "Kanni Wignaraja". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "Kanni Wignaraja: Profile". Bloomberg. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "The Art of Leadership in the United Nations". Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "UNDP Asia-Pacific – Regional Director's Profile". UNDP. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "Amid Growing Political Divides, Security Council Must Not Lose Focus on Development as Peace Imperative, Speakers Stress, during Open Debate". UN Press. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Security Council Debate: Development and Security". UN Web TV. 19 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "The Great Upheaval". UNDP. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Capacity Development: A UNDP Primer". UNDP. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ Wignaraja, Kanni (17 April 2020). "Universal basic income is the answer to the inequalities exposed by COVID-19". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ Wilkinson, Emily; Wignaraja, Kanni (11 December 2023). "Credit Ratings and Climate Chaos". Project Syndicate. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "UN: Humanitarian relief can't patch up Afghanistan's collapsed economy". CNBC. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Kanni Wignaraja on BBC World". YouTube. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2024.