Resident Coordinator's Statement on the Signing of the New Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2025-2029.

Mr Khaled El Mekwad, from Egypt, has devoted over 30 years to public service. Prior to his current position, he served as UNIDO Regional Representative for Southern Africa based in Pretoria covering ten SADC countries, UNIDO Representative in Sudan with coverage for Djibouti & Yemen, and UNIDO Representative Lebanon with coverage for Jordan & Syria. During 14 years in the UN system, he addressed Industrial & Socio-economic Development, Environment, Poverty Reduction, Human Rights & Post-war recovery in the Middle East & Africa.

Prior to the UN, he pursued an extensive Diplomatic career in his national capacity for 19 years where he served as Alternate Representative at the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the UN in Vienna, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Egypt in Dakar, and Political Officer at the Mission of Egypt to the EU in Brussels.

He obtained two post-graduate Diplomas in International Relations from the National School of Administration in Paris and the Institute for Diplomatic Studies of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo. Mr El Mekwad also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Cairo University. In addition to Arabic, his mother tongue, he speaks fluent English & French.