Beijing, March 1 Veteran UN diplomat of Indian origin, Siddharth Chatterjee, has been appointed as the CEO of Global Neighbours, a Vienna-based think tank, upon his retirement as UN Resident Coordinator in China.
Chatterjee, 62, retired as UN Resident Coordinator in China on Sunday.
Chatterjee's appointment to head 26 UN offices in China in 2021 made headlines as it came amidst the India-China tensions over the eastern Ladakh standoff.
During his tenure in China, he became a major draw for Chinese, Indian, and global media, making waves with his intense fitness regime and yoga exercises.
An alumnus of India's National Defence Academy, Pune, Chatterjee served in the Indian Army before joining the UN and was awarded for gallantry in 1995.
He is married to Ban Hyun-Hee, the daughter of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon from South Korea, who is currently Chief of Public Partnerships at UNICEF China.
A press release issued by Global Neighbours stated that Chatterjee has been appointed as its CEO, effective from March 2.
Global Neighbours is a Vienna-based think tank founded in 2022 by entrepreneur Jovanka Porsche, former Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, and former German Vice Chancellor Philipp Rösler.
According to the organization's brochure, it aims to build bridges between Europe, Asia, and other regions by creating a platform for fact-based dialogue among stakeholders in business, politics, and society.
Chatterjee joins Global Neighbours following nearly three decades of distinguished international service at the highest levels of leadership, including as UN Resident Coordinator in China, the press release said.
As the UN Secretary-General's senior-most representative in China, he led the United Nations in one of the world's most strategically significant countries.
He has served the UN in some of the most fragile parts of the world and has held senior leadership positions across development, humanitarian, peace operations, and international diplomacy. He previously served as UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, it said.
He was the UNDP Resident Representative and UNFPA Representative in Kenya.
His UN experience also includes serving as Regional Director for the Middle East and Europe at UNOPS in Denmark, Chief of Staff for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, leadership positions with UNICEF in Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Indonesia, and UN Peacekeeping in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A defining milestone in his career at UNICEF was his central role in the demobilisation of more than 3,500 child soldiers in South Sudan in 2001 — an unprecedented humanitarian operation conducted during active conflict, it said.
Chatterjee has also served as Chief Diplomat at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Switzerland.
He is also a visiting Professor at Schwarzman College and the prestigious Tsinghua University in China. Chatterjee is a graduate of Princeton University, USA.
"With his rare combination of operational depth, diplomatic acumen, intellectual leadership, experience, and strategic vision, Chatterjee brings exceptional credibility and perspective to Global Neighbours," the press release said.
"The Board of Global Neighbours welcomes the appointment and looks forward to Chatterjee leading the organization to the next level. It expressed full confidence that under his leadership, the organization will further strengthen its role as a trusted platform for international dialogue and constructive engagement across regions at a time of increasing geopolitical complexity," it said.