Mr. Ian King
UNDP Uganda Resident Representative
Ian King assumed his role as Deputy Resident Representative at the UNDP Uganda Country Office in August 2024. Mr. King brings over 30 years of expertise working at national, regional, and international organizations. He made significant contributions to UNDP's mission over the past two decades, demonstrating leadership in programme development and management; Country Office oversight; post-disaster recovery; and has extensive experience addressing sustainable development issues.
During his tenure as Deputy Resident Representative and Head of Office at the Belize UNDP Country Office, Mr. King was delegated responsibility for management of both the programme and operations. He advanced the diversification of the Country Office’s portfolio including strengthening the Governance, Inclusive Growth, and Digitization pillar. Notably, he led the development of the UNDP's Country Programme Document 2022 – 2026 and oversaw the implementation of the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) in 2023. Mr. King also served as the Resident Representative a.i. for the UNDP Belize Country Office and the UNDP Jamaica Multi Country Office during his tenure. Within the UNCT, he served as Designated Official for UN Staff Safety and Security as well as Chair of the UN Operations Management Team.
Between 2014 and 2017, Mr. King provided Country Office support and oversight as a Country Advisor at the UNDP Regional Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama. He also led the Disaster Risk Management programme at the UNDP Barbados and the OECS Multi-Country Office for a decade. Furthermore, he was a first responder, recovery advisor, and Head of the newly established Project Office in the Commonwealth of Dominica after the impact of Hurricane Lisa in late 2017. His leadership was instrumental to the organization being conferred the Dominica Award of Honour in 2021 for contribution to recovery and national development.
Prior to joining UNDP, Mr. King’s professional journey began in the Government of Barbados addressing environmental management and policy development before working on regional climate change project initiatives. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Environmental Studies from Kings College, University of London, a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Studies from Cambridge University, and a Master of Arts in Geographical Information Systems and International Development from Clark University in Massachusetts. A Barbadian and British national, Mr. King is married and a proud father of two sons.