UN in INDONESIA
Indonesia’s population of 250 million people live amid 17,508 islands. The diverse country, in the world’s largest archipelago, is home to hundreds of distinct ethnic groups, as well hundreds of languages.
The country has experienced significant economic growth in the last decade, and its middle class continues to expand. Indonesia is now categorized as lower middle-income, and between 2009 and 2013 annual GDP growth was 5.8 percent. With a rising middle class expected to reach 135 million people by 2020, the country is challenged with widening inequality.
Indonesia has committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 17 goals set to end poverty by 2030. However immense work is required before these targets are met. Climate change and deforestation remain pivotal issues, and maternal mortality rates are extremely high in some parts of the country. HIV rates are increasing, and food security is still a concern.
The UN Organizations
UN Resident Coordinator
The UN in Indonesia is led by the Resident Coordinator (RC), Ms. Anita Nirody
Ms. Nirody is currently the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative (UN RC/UNDP RR) for the Republic of Indonesia. She began her assignment in May 2017.
She has twenty-seven years of experience as a development practitioner and has held various senior positions with the UN working with countries in the Asia Pacific, Latin American, Africa, the Arab and Europe-CIS regions at country and regional levels and at UN headquarters.
She has advised over 60 countries globally on a range of multi-disciplinary development issues. She is a passionate advocate for women’s rights. She has worked on equity, poverty reduction, sustainable development, policy coherence as well as on organizational change and reform issues. Throughout her career, Ms. Nirody has partnered with numerous multilateral and bilateral organizations on a range of aid management and aid effectiveness issues.
Until recently, Ms. Nirody served as the UN RC/UNDP RR in the Arab Republic of Egypt and prior to that as the UN RC/UNDP RR in the Republic of Uzbekistan. As the designated representative of the UN Secretary General, she led the United Nations Country Teams and coordinated the UN and UNDP’s development and humanitarian work in these countries.
Previous leadership positions include: UNDP Country Director in Afghanistan, Chief of UNDP Sub-Regional Office for South East Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, where she coordinated UNDP advice and assistance to 16 countries on poverty reduction, environmental management, disaster risk reduction and governance, Senior Environment Advisor for Asia, Director of UNDP’s Operational Policies and Applied Research Group in New York and Global Coordinator of the UNDP-managed Trust Fund on Capacity Development supporting over 75 countries in implementing Agenda 21 following the Rio summit in 1992.
Prior to the UN, Ms. Nirody worked with the World Bank as an Urban Environment Specialist and with non-governmental organizations. Ms. Nirody has post graduate degrees in International Relations, International Development (with a specialization in Natural Resources Management) and Political Science from the United States and India.
Interview with UN Resident Coordinator
United Nations Country Team (UNCT)
Representatives of each UN agency in Indonesia work together to support a coherent approach to Indonesia's development priorities. The UN Country Team ensures that UN agencies are well-coordinated in the planning and implementation -- as well as monitoring and evaluation. Learn more about how UN agencies work together: UN Partnership for Development Framework 2016-2020.
The UNCT is part of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), which also includes the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and representatives from national and international NGOs.
