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Having served in some of the most fragile countries in the world during my service in the UN and the Red Cross, I am passionate about making a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable. I have seen first hand many human tragedies and triumphs from which I have learnt important lessons and I strive to uphold human dignity. I am a feminist and firmly believe in gender equality.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

UN Civil Servant
TEDx Speaker
Feminist
Humanitarian
Half Marathoner
Blog @Reuters @IPS
Special Forces Veteran
@Princeton alumnus
Tweet @sidchat1.

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My Story

My Voices

I am the United Nations Resident Coordinator to China. I took over the role from 16 January 2021.  I work with the Government and the people of China to ensure the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

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From 26 August 2016 till 13 January 2021, I was the United Nations Resident Coordinator to Kenya.

 

Before taking up this role I was the UNFPA(United Nations Population Fund) Representative to Kenya. My team and I are leading efforts to reduce the unacceptably high maternal deaths in Kenya. UNFPA has put the spotlight on the challenges faced by adolescent girls which includes child marriage, Female Genital Mutilation and sexual and gender based violence. UNFPA is working tirelessly with partners to ensure that every girl enjoys her rights and is able to achieve her full human potential.

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Before UNFPA, I served as the Chief Diplomat and Head of Strategic Partnerships and was also responsible for resource mobilization at the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC) since 2011.

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Before joining the IFRC, I have served with the United Nations(UN) since 1997, in UN Peace Keeping, UNICEF and UNOPS.  Most of my UN career has been spent serving in countries affected by conflicts and natural disasters, in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

 

I started my early career in the Special Forces of the Indian Army and was decorated for gallantry during active service.

 

I am a graduate in public policy from the Princeton School for Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

 

I write extensively on compelling social, humanitarian and development issues. A complete list of my OP/EDs and articles which have featured in Newsweek, Forbes Africa, CNBC Africa, Los Angeles Times, CNN, Al Jazeera, Forbes, Huffington Post, Reuters, the Guardian etc can be found in here. 

 

I have been interviewed by Sky News, BBC, Forbes, Al Jazeera, Inter Press Service, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, NPR, VOA and UNICEF Radio and can be found here.

 

I also enjoy running half marathons, biking, SCUBA diving, poetry, current affairs and English literature. In the past I was also a keen horseman and a parachutist.

 

I am a husband and a dad, and I dote on my son.

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