The Resident Coordinator Office
The Resident Coordinator (RC) system’s role in country is to bring together the different UN agencies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operational activities at the country level.
The RC leads the UN country team. His role is pivotal for the success of the United Nations in reaching the Sustainble Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda. The Resident Coordinator leads and strategically positions the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) to address people's needs and vulnerabilities, to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Leave No One Behind.
The RC system encompasses all organisations of the United Nations system dealing with operational activities for development, regardless of their formal presence in the country. The RC system is supported in UNHQ by the UN Development Coordination Office (UNDCO).
In countries facing a humanitarian crisis, like Syria, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) brings together all humanitarian actors including UN organisations and International NGOs, in addition to representatives of National NGOs, SARC, IFRC, and the sector coordinators and ICRC as observers, to ensure their full participation in the decision-making process concerning the humanitarian response.
The HCT is chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in his capacity as Humanitarian Coordinator and coordinated through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The HCT's work is framed within the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) which is developed bi-annually on the basis of the needs identified in the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) annually.
UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator (UN RC/HC) for Syria
Mr. Abdelmoula brings more than 35 years of experience in development, rule of law, human rights, humanitarian work and security, of which the last 24 have been with the UN.
Prior to his appointment as United Nations Resident Coordinator, he was serving as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, where he led the UN’s development and humanitarian activities amid the worst drought in generations, political instability, disease outbreaks and a looming famine.
Prior to this, Mr. Abdelmoula held different positions within the UN System, including as Director of the UN Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); Country Director for Iraq at the UN Development Programme (UNDP); Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative in Syria and Kuwait, Chief of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Section at OHCHR, Deputy Chief of the United Nations Mission in Liberia Human Rights Division, Chief Human Rights Officer of the United Nation Assistant Mission for Iraq and Senior Rule of Law and Human Rights Adviser for Somalia.
Before joining the UN, Mr. Abdelmoula worked for several international and regional organizations including Human Rights Watch, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, the Arab Lawyers Union and the Fund for Peace.
Mr. Abdelmoula has a doctorate in public international law from Georgetown University, a Master of Law from Harvard Law School and Bachelor of Law from Khartoum University.
