The UN Resident Coordinator Office

The Resident Coordinator (RC) system “aims to bring together the different UN agencies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operational activities at the country level” through the One UN Delivery approach of One Leader, One Budgetary Framework, One Programme, Operating as One, and Communicating as One.

As designated representative of the UN Secretary-General, the RC in Ghana leads and strategically positions the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in support of national priorities, development strategies, and plans. The RC convenes the UNCT and coordinates all UN operations at the country level, with the support of her/his team in the RC Office (RCO).

The work of the UN in Ghana is informed by the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023 - 2025.

The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana fulfills the following five key functions in supporting national priorities, development strategies and plans:

Strategic planning;

Development economics;

Partnerships and development finance;

Data and results management and reporting; and

Communications and advocacy.

The UN Resident Coordinator

Mr. Zia Choudhury, the designated representative of the UN Secretary-General, leads UN operations and programmes in support of Ghana’s national development priorities.

With over 25 years of experience in international development and humanitarian affairs, Mr. Choudhury previously served as UN Resident Coordinator in Botswana. He began his career as a national field officer on a disaster-prone island in the Bay of Bengal and has since held senior leadership roles across Africa, Asia, and Europe, including with FAO and OCHA.

He has served as Country Director for CARE in both Sudan and Bangladesh—where he led a team of over 1,200 staff delivering major development and humanitarian responses, including one of the largest interventions for the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Mr. Choudhury holds degrees from SOAS, University of London, and the University of Manchester. He takes over from Mr. Charles Abani.