There comes a moment in life when one realizes that the world one grew up in is not necessarily the same as the world most people live in. For Roman Meier, this moment came when he was a young person, watching TV, reading books, and being curious about “why do some people have many resources and opportunities, while others have much less?”. 

That question set him on a path that now stretches from Switzerland to the corridors of the UNDP headquarters in New York. Today, Roman works at the forefront of one of the most important and least visible pillars of sustainable development: he supports efforts to ensure that every person has meaningful access to justice. 

A Journey That Began with Curiosity  

Roman grew up in a town close by Zurich which is a place that, by almost any measure, works. The buses run on time, poverty levels are low, and the rule of law is a lived reality. And yet, rather than becoming comfortable with that reality, Roman became curious about why it wasn't universal. 

Drawn to the topics of poverty, exclusion, and development, he went on to study Sociology at the University of Zurich. That curiosity eventually led him to the Netherlands where Roman completed his Master's Degree in International Development, and then to an international NGO called Cordaid where his real engagement started. 

At Cordaid, Roman could join missions to Burundi, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. For someone early in his career, it was an extraordinary experience that no classroom can replicate. He was trusted with important work and could benefit from relationships across many cultures. 

From there came a year in Nigeria with the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office, working on UN coordination and conflict prevention. This was followed by nearly two years in Colombia with Terre des Hommes. After that, he was deployed to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to join UNDP and work on justice, rule of law, and human rights. 

The Swiss Thread: Neutrality and Universal Values 

When asked whether something distinctly Swiss shapes how he approaches his work, Roman gives a characteristically thoughtful answer. He has lived abroad for more than a decade. His thinking about development has been shaped less by his life in Switzerland than by his experiences in the Global South where he came to understand the importance of the UN and the universal values it represents.  

"The UN represents the idea that every human being is entitled to a set of basic rights and freedoms. This has always reflected my belief that certain things in life should not be privileges, but recognized as inalienable rights, and that together we share a common responsibility to ensure that everyone can exercise those rights."

Switzerland has long stood for a particular idea: that there are values like human rights whose importance transcend national interest. Roman's career is, in its own way, a living expression of that same belief. He joined UNDP mainly because its mandate allowed him to make a small contribution to a future in which everybody can exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms.