Stefan Liller

UNDP Resident Representative for China

Mr. Stefan Liller is a senior international development leader with more than 20 years of experience in the United Nations system, with assignments across Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Africa. A Swedish national, he has held senior leadership roles including Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bangladesh and Uruguay, as well as Deputy Resident Representative positions in Moldova and acting assignments in Ukraine and Kazakhstan.  

Throughout his career, Mr. Stefan Liller has combined strategic leadership with strong operational delivery, managing large teams and complex development portfolios. His experience spans socio-economic transformation, development finance, climate action, digitalization, innovation, and governance reform. He has a strong track record in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by translating policy priorities into scalable, forward-looking programmes, and by fostering partnerships with governments, international financial institutions, the private sector, and development partners. He has also worked extensively on innovative financing solutions and on harnessing digital transformation to support inclusive and sustainable development. 

As Resident Representative of UNDP in Bangladesh between 2022-2026, Mr. Stefan Liller led one of UNDP’s largest country programmes in the Asia-Pacific, supporting national priorities during a period of significant political and economic transition. His leadership included repositioning UNDP as a key partner in supporting national institutional reform agendas and strengthening economic governance and accelerating digital transformation.  

Previously, as Resident Representative in Uruguay, he played a central role in positioning UNDP as a trusted partner on economic policy and crisis response, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. He led pioneering work on financing for development, supporting the Government and international partners in launching a sustainability-linked sovereign bond aligned with climate commitments, and exploring innovative financing instruments to support long-term development objectives.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Stefan Liller held roles across Central and South America, Eastern Africa, and Southeast and Central Asia, including regional leadership positions with UNDP and UNODC. He complements his United Nations experience with a background in the private sector and holds master’s degrees in law and in Business Administration and Economics from Stockholm University.