Secretary-General appoints Mr. Richard Howard of United States as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Papua New Guinea

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Richard Howard of United States as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Papua New Guinea, with the host Government’s approval. He takes up his post on 7 December.   

Richard Howard has more than 30 years of experience in management and research experience, including economic growth and decent job creation, gender equality and inclusion with the private sector, non-government organizations, and the United Nations in Asia and the Pacific. He recently served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator ad interim, and International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Director in Nepal.   

Prior to this, Mr. Howard worked as Senior Regional Specialist with ILO in Bangkok, Thailand, Chief Technical Advisor, Private Sector Partnerships on Health for Internal Migrants in Beijing, China, as Asia Regional Programme Manager, Private Sector Partnerships for Health with FHI360 (formerly Family Health International) and as Director of Research (Industry Analysis and Market Strategies) with Castle Asia both in Jakarta, Indonesia.  

Mr. Howard was a Fulbright scholar in Indonesia with research focusing on gender, ethnicity, and national identity.  

He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology from the University of Illinois and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Carolina.