Usha Rao-Monari has been appointed as Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), joining a growing list of Indians in the global organisation. Rao-Monari’s appointment was announced by UN Chief Antonio Guterres and a subsequent press release confirmed her credentials and past experience. “Rao-Monari, the Senior Advisor to Blackstone’s Infrastructure Group, is an investment professional with almost three decades of investment experience, particularly in the infrastructure area,” the statement read.
Who is Rao-Monari?
Rao-Monari is a Delhi University graduate with a master's degree from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, Mumbai and has been the CEO of Global Water Development Partners. She also was the director of the Sustainable Business Advisory Group at the World Bank's International Finance Corporation. She currently serves on the Boards of several organisations in the field of sustainable development and has held various Board and advisory positions in the areas of water, natural capital, biodiversity and environment, it added.
The announcement of her appointment comes just two days after the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), which focusses on providing micro-finance access to least developed countries (LDCs), said Preeti Sinha has commenced her tenure as Executive Secretary of the UN agency. As per PTI, Sinha's work would be focussed on providing micro-finance assistance to women, youth, small and medium-sized enterprises in under-served communities.
In a statement, Sinha said her goal would be to make 'C' in UNCDF (capital) to be "highly catalytic in mobilising manifold the public and private finance for the LDCs it serves and in developing a new era of engagement with capital markets in 2021 and onwards." Sinha succeeds Judith Karl, who retired in February after concluding her 30-year career in the United Nations, the agency said.