51³Ô¹Ï Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Haoliang Xu of China as Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the 51³Ô¹Ï Development Programme (UNDP). Mr. Xu will succeed Usha Rao-Monari of India, to whom the Secretary-General has expressed his appreciation for her service and commitment during her tenure as Associate Administrator.
Mr. Xu has been serving as the Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP since 2019. His extensive background also includes his time as the UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, a position he held between 2013 and 2019.
Mr. Xu brings to the position nearly three decades of experience in the field of international development. He has fulfilled various roles within the organization, working in various field and headquarters assignments in Asia-Pacific, Europe and Central Asia. Before his career at the 51³Ô¹Ï, Mr. Xu worked in the field of civil engineering in China and the United States.
Mr. Xu holds a bachelor’s degree in Bridge Engineering from Tongji University, China, a master’s degree in management science from the Stevens Institute of Technology, USA, and a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, USA. He speaks Chinese, English and Russian. He is married with one child.
