Secretary-General appoints Gwyn Lewis of Ireland as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh

On May 8, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Gwyn Lewis of Ireland as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, with the host Government’s approval. 

Ms. Lewis brings more than 20 years of experience in international development, peacebuilding, and humanitarian affairs to the position.  

Prior to her appointment as UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Lewis served as Director of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Affairs in the West Bank and Deputy Director for Programmes for UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon. 

Ms. Gwyn Lewis also managed the Global Clusters Coordination section in United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ’s Emergency Division in Geneva. She joined UNICEF from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where she focused on humanitarian policy and supporting FAO country offices.  

She also served in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva, building partnerships between the UN and NGO, and supporting the roll out of the humanitarian reform agenda. Ms. Lewis has also worked for both OCHA and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the occupied Palestinian territory, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and various NGOs in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Albania.  

Ms. Gwyn Lewis holds a master’s degree in International Relations and European Studies from the University of Kent, Canterbury, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from San Francisco State University. 

She is fluent in English and French.