Secretary-General Appoints Wenyan Yang of China United Nations Resident Coordinator in Botswana

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Wenyan Yang of China as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Botswana, with the host Government’s approval, effective 14 June.

Ms. Yang has more than 30 years of experience in economic and social development.  Prior to her appointment in Botswana, she served as Chief of Branch in the Division for Inclusive Social Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, where she focused on the social dimension of the sustainable development agenda, addressing poverty, inequality, employment and social inclusion issues to advance the well-being of all people.  Through research and policy analysis, she worked to bridge academic findings and deliberations on sustainable development at the United Nations by formulating evidence-based, context-appropriate policy recommendations to Member States through support to intergovernmental bodies and technical assistance for national capacity development.  As Chief of Branch she managed the team responsible for coordinating and providing substantive and technical services to the Commission for Social Development, the Economic and Social Council and the Main Committees of the General Assembly, as well as preparing the World Social Report.

Ms. Yang also worked in Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ Division for the Advancement of Women to promote gender equality and empowerment of women in development.  She was responsible for communication and outreach to civil society organizations and national machinery and mechanisms for gender equality.  She began her United Nations career as a macroeconomic policy analyst in Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ Economic Analysis and Policy Division, with responsibility for monitoring macroeconomic performance and policy developments, providing analysis of macroeconomic situation and prospects, and policy recommendations in developing countries in Asia and least developed countries.  She also worked on post-conflict reconstruction and international trade and commodities market.

Ms. Yang has a master’s degree in economics from New York University in the United States and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Peking University of China.

She is married, and has two children.