Secretary-General Appoints Arnhild Spence of Norway United Nations Development Coordinator in Kosovo

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Arnhild Spence of Norway as the United Nations Development Coordinator* in Kosovo1.  She took up her post on 5 September.

Ms. Spence brings 30 years of experience from Government, the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and civil society.  She has cross-cutting competencies in security, development and humanitarian affairs.

Prior to her appointment as United Nations Development Coordinator, Ms. Spence managed the World Food Programme (WFP) field operations in Pakistan as Deputy and Acting Country Director. In Pakistan, she supported the Government in its United Nations Food Systems Summit engagement, disaster management and augmenting social protection.

In September 2021, she was seconded by WFP to the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, where she led organizational transformation and served as Acting Director.

Ms. Spence joined WFP in 2014 as Director of Partnerships.  She led the implementation of WFP’s Partnership Strategy, while also coordinating the organization’s work on Agenda 2030 and World Humanitarian Summit.  She subsequently served with WFP in the Democratic Republic of Congo, supporting famine and Ebola response as Director of Partnerships.

Before working with WFP, Ms. Spence served with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations Office at Geneva, Norwegian Refugee Council and the Red Cross Movement.  Her first field deployment was in 2012, as Deputy Head of Office, OCHA Afghanistan.

Ms Spence began her career in the field of foreign and security policy, where her work included positions with the Norwegian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence, and NATO’s International Staff.  While at NATO, Ms Spence negotiated several joint policies between NATO and partners on peacekeeping.

She holds a master’s degree in International Relations from Oslo University.

*     The Development Coordinator in Kosovo leads and coordinates the United Nations Kosovo team (UNKT) to support progress towards sustainable development in Kosovo anchored around the Sustainable Development Goals.  The Development Coordinator ensures effective coordination of UNKT's work with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

1     All references to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).