Assistant Secretary-General, Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

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Secretary-General's Special Envoy on the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan, DESA

The Secretariat of the United Nations welcomes applications for the position of Secretary- General's Special Envoy on the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), New York, USA.

The Secretary-General's Special Envoy on the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan is a member of the Secretary-General’s Global Leadership Team, and as such, serves as a role model for the United Nations Values (Inclusion, Integrity, Humility and Humanity) and Behaviours Framework (Connect and Collaborate; Analyse and Plan; Deliver Results with Positive Impact; Learn and Develop; and Adapt and Innovate) and the desired behaviours of the United Nations System Leadership Framework.

The Secretariat welcomes applications to supplement the Secretary-General’s search and consultations and would especially welcome the applications of women candidates.

Candidates may apply for this opening by sending a cover letter and their curriculum vitae to the following e-mail: DESA-HR-UNRCSDG@un.org by Monday, 26 October 2026 (midnight New York time).

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence and short-listed candidates will be contacted directly to undergo an assessment process, reference and background checks, including human rights and conflicts of interest screening.

Background

By its resolution 79/268, the General Assembly established the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan (UNRCSDG) to enhance regional cooperation and coherence, and to provide targeted support to the governments and relevant stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in an integrated and effective manner, contributing to regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

Guided by the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations encouraging regional cooperation, the 2030 Agenda, and relevant General Assembly resolutions concerning Central Asia, Afghanistan, and sustainable development, the Centre is mandated to implement regional projects and programmes, aimed at assisting the countries of Central Asia and Afghanistan in achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental. The support will be delivered in

UNITED NATIONS | NATIONS UNIES | PAGE 2 complementarity with the UN development system, the UN regional economic commissions and mandates set forth in General Assembly resolutions 72/279 and 79/226.

UN DESA provides guidance and leadership to promote and support international cooperation in the pursuit of sustainable development for all. Further information on UN DESA is available on the following website: https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/

Duties and Responsibilities

The Special Envoy is accountable to the Secretary-General through the Deputy Secretary- General and the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and is responsible for the overall strategic direction and leadership and for all the activities of the UNRCSDG as well as its administration.

The core strategic functions of the Special Envoy include:

• Assist and advises the Secretary-General through the Deputy Secretary-General and the Under- Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs on matters concerning sustainable development in Central Asia and Afghanistan;
• Represent the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs at meetings and conferences relating to issues of sustainable development of Central Asia and Afghanistan;
• Provide overall strategic direction and leadership for the UNRCSDG’s activities, identifies broad strategies for the development and implementation of the comprehensive action plan as well as programme of work of UNRCSDG and maintains close contact with representatives of Member States, departments and offices of the United Nations Secretariat, other intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations;
• Promote constructive and sustainable regional cooperation as an effective means for long-term peace, security, prosperity and sustainable development in Afghanistan and the region;
• Assist in bringing a regional perspective to global discussions and forums and introduces global priorities at the subregional level;
• Ensure gender is mainstreamed throughout the work of UNRCSDG, consistent with the principle of leaving no one behind, by assessing the implications for women and men, girls and boys of any planned action, including policies or programmes in all areas and at all levels, and fosters an enabling environment for gender equality, inclusion and open communication among staff and across organizational boundaries;
• Anticipate emerging regional trends and risks to inform proactive policies that accelerate long-term progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals;
• Analyse complex information and scenario models to identify early signals of change and translate them into actionable strategic recommendations for advancing the region’s Sustainable Development Goals.
• Promote the integration of behavioural science insights into regional policies and programmes to strengthen evidence-based interventions that accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Foster a safe, inclusive and respectful working envrionement, free from sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harrsement, discrimnitation and abuse of authority, and uphold the highest standards of integretuty and conduct;
• Carry out any special task or other duties that may be assigned to the Special Envoy by the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

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Skills and Expertise

The Secretary-General is seeking an individual with:

• Demonstrated leadership experience with strategic vision and proven skills in leading transformation in, and managing complex organizations, such as intergovernmental, international non-governmental or multinational private sector entities;
• Exceptional political and diplomatic skills, with proven experience engaging with Heads of State, high-level government officials and international and regional stakeholders;
• Demonstrated intellectual leadership, creativity and proven ability to transform organizations, incubate new ideas and lead on new ways of working across the Humanitarian-Development- Peace nexus in addressing the drivers of conflict and humanitarian action and developing effective institutions, capacities and resilience in a complementary and synergetic way for inclusive sustainable development and lasting peace;
• Proven track record of successful resource mobilization and strategic partnership development, including demonstrable experience in engaging with non-traditional donors, such as the private sector and philanthropic organizations, and a substantial track record of diversified resource mobilization at a high level;
• Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously in a multi-cultural team, and establish cooperative and effective working relationships both within and outside the organization
• Proven ability to inspire, encourage, build trust and confidence and also build consensus, stimulate effective campaigns and drive collective action among a broad spectrum of people and organizations;
• High commitment to the values and guiding principles of the United Nations and good understanding of the United Nations system, including peacekeeping, peacebuilding, human rights, humanitarian and development settings and challenges;
• Demonstrated commitment to working closely with the United Nations system to mobilize the political support of Member States to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with extensive knowledge and/or experience of major economic, environmental and social development issues with a view to promoting policies and strategies for the development of Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For this position, fluency in English is required. A working knowledge of Russian or other United Nations official language will be an advantage.

Human Rights Screening

Individuals who seek to serve with the United Nations in any individual capacity will be required, if short-listed, to complete a self-attestation stating that they have not committed, been convicted of, nor prosecuted for, any criminal offence, including sexual exploitation and abuse, and have not been involved, by act or omission, in the commission of any violation of international human rights law or international humanitarian law, including sexual exploitation and abuse.

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Conflicts of interest screening

All United Nations staff members are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity. Senior leaders in particular, have the responsibility to serve as role models in upholding the Organization’s ethical standards.

A conflict of interest occurs when, by act or omission, a staff member’s personal interests interfere with the performance of their official duties and responsibilities, or call into question their integrity, independence and impartiality. Risk for conflicts of interest may arise from a staff member’s engagement in outside (non-United Nations) employment or occupation; outside activities, including political activities; receipt of gifts, honours, awards, favours or remuneration from external (non-United Nations) sources; or personal investment. In particular, no staff member shall accept any honour, decoration, favour, gift or remuneration from any Government (Staff Regulation 1.2 (j)).

Where a real or perceived conflict of interest does arise, senior leaders are obligated to disclose this to the Organization without delay. In order to avoid real or perceived family influence or preferential treatment and conflicts of interest that could stem from such situations, the United Nations Staff Rules provide that appointments “shall not be granted to anyone who is the father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister of a staff member” (Staff Rule 4.7 (a)).

Short-listed individuals will be required to complete a pre-appointment declaration of interests for senior positions to identify possible conflicts of interest that may arise and to proactively prevent and manage, as much as possible and in a timely manner, situations in which personal interests may conflict, or appear to conflict, with the interests of the United Nations, should the individual be appointed to this position.

Terms of Appointment

The Secretary-General's Special Envoy on the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan shall be appointed by the Secretary-General at the level of Assistant Secretary-General on a full-time basis for an initial period of one year under the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules. The appointment may be extended subject to funding availability.

The Special Envoy will report to the Secretary-General through the Deputy Secretary-General and the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. Any relevant reporting on the activities of the Centre should also be included in the Operational Activities for Development segment of the Economic and Social Council.

The Special Envoy will head the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan (UNRCSDG), based in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan. The costs of all activities of the Special Envoy and the Centre shall be met from voluntary contributions.

Administrative support will be provided by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and UNRCSDG, and the direct costs of the provision of administrative and logistical support are to be met with extra-budgetary funding for the initial year of appointment.

11 September 2026