Robert Piper

Robert Piper
Photo: UN/Rick Bajornas
Born 1966
Canberra, Australia
Nationality Australian
Employer United Nations
Title Assistant Secretary General

Robert Piper (born 1966)[1] is an Australian development aid coordinator for the United Nations. Since March 2018, he has been acting as a United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Director of External Relations and Advocacy in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He is currently based in New York with his wife, Maggie, and four children, Martha, Jack, Finbar and Hamish.

Early life

Born in Canberra, Piper studied arts (majoring in political science) at the Australian National University. During his studies, he was an accomplished street performer, and together with friends Richard Fidler and Tim Ferguson, formed a comedy busking trio called the Doug Anthony All Stars.[1][2] In 1985, Piper left the All Stars to study acting at the Cours Florent in Paris, and was replaced by Paul McDermott.[3]

United Nations career

Piper began his career in humanitarian development in 1989, joining the Australian government aid agency AusAID. In 1990, he joined the United Nations, working with the United Nations Population Fund in Thailand, then the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Cambodia and Fiji. He served in several key roles at UNDP, including as a manager of its NetAid initiative in 1999.[4] In 2002 he became Development Coordinator and Resident Representative in Kosovo.[5]

In 2005, in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Piper was asked by former US President Bill Clinton to serve as his chief of staff, in Clinton's capacity as UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery.[1]

From 2008 to 2013, Piper was Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nepal.[6] In March 2013, he replaced David Gressly as Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel, supporting humanitarian work across the nine countries of the region (Senegal, The Gambia, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania, Northern Nigeria, Northern Cameroon and Mali).[5][7]

From May 2015, he was the Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with the rank of UN Assistant Secretary General.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Crabb, Annabel (15 May 2005). "Clinton's tsunami man". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  2. ↑ All Star secrets revealed: Doug Anthonys share anecdotes, Chortle.co.uk, 13 April 2013.
  3. ↑ Ferguson, Tim (2013). Carry a Big Stick. Sydney: Hachette. ISBN 9780733629358.
  4. ↑ "NetAid Snared Millions". 1999.
  5. 1 2 3 Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
  6. ↑ Farewell Speech by Robert Piper, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator at Farewell Reception, United Nations Nepal, 21 January 2013.
  7. ↑ Robert Piper takes over from David Gressly as Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel, ReliefWeb, 8 March 2013.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
David Gressly		 Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel Region
2013–2015		 Succeeded by
Toby Lanzer
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