James George

UNDP Resident Representative ad interim for China

James George currently serves as the UNDP Resident Representative ad interim for China, following his tenure as Deputy Resident Representative since January 2022. With over 30 years of experience in international development across the United Nations and the private sector, Mr. George has contributed extensively to advancing sustainable development initiatives globally and in the Asia-Pacific region.  

Prior to UNDP in China, Mr. George was the UNDP Country Programme Advisor for the Asia Pacific region, based in Bangkok, supporting 28 countries from 2019 to 2022. From 2017 to 2019, he served in the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General in New York, where he managed portfolios related to effective implementation and strategic partnerships to advance the Sustainable Development Goals; sustainable development in Africa; and Special Initiatives of the United Nations Secretary-General. 

Between 2002 and 2017, Mr. George held several key positions within the United Nations, including UNDP Regional Partnership Advisor and Regional Programme Specialist in Bangkok, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative for the Multi Country Office in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam, and Programme Officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Incheon. Over the last two decades, he has authored and edited numerous UNDP regional publications focused on leveraging science, technology, and innovation for sustainable development, and has published in international journals on public sector reform strategies and frontier trends in digital transformation.  

Before joining the United Nations, Mr. George worked with leading global management consulting firms, focusing on public sector reforms, digital transformation, and strategic national development initiatives, including sustainable development and smart cities.  

Mr. George is a Chevening Scholar of the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and holds a postgraduate degree in international development and politics, with a focus on regional economic integration and the development of trading blocs in the Asia Pacific region.