Christian Saunders
Christian Francis Saunders (born 1961, United Kingdom) was the Acting Commissioner-General of the from November 2019 to May 2020.
In November 2019, Christian Saunders was appointed as Acting Commissioner-General of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) following allegations of mismanagement by the agency’s leadership. He was tasked with reforming the agency and setting it on a new path.
Before UNRWA, Saunders was the Assistant Secretary-General, Office of Central Support-Services in the Department of Management and the Assistant Secretary-General for Supply Chain Management in the Department of Operational Support.
Career
Saunders began his career in 1984 working in humanitarian relief for Save the Children in the Sudan where he established and managed refugee camps and then in Mozambique overseeing the relief and development program. In 1989, his United Nations career began with UNRWA in Gaza during the First Intifada. Subsequently, he served in several field positions with the , and the United Nations Office of the Special Coordinator for Sarajevo . He later undertook short term assignments on behalf of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to set up their emergency humanitarian response operations in both Kosovo and East Timor.
Starting in 2001, Saunders held a series of senior management positions at the United Nations Secretariat in New York City. Some of his achievements included: coordinating duty of care for humanitarian personnel across the affected countries during the Ebola Outbreak in 2014; overseeing the successful deployment of the UN’s new enterprise resource planning system - UMOJA - and advancing the Secretary General’s management reforms. He also co-chaired the working group which developed the UN’s new ‘whistleblower’ protection policy in 2017.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East
At UNRWA, Saunders prioritised operational continuity and introduced management reforms to strengthen the agency and promote greater transparency, effectiveness and accountability. In a brief period, he obtained overwhelming support for the renewal of UNRWA’s mandate by the United Nations General Assembly, unlocked donor funding that had been frozen due to the investigation, and secured pledges for additional funds..
Other activities
* Member of High Level Task Force on UN Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
* Board Member of United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund
* Member of International Gender Champions.
In November 2019, Christian Saunders was appointed as Acting Commissioner-General of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) following allegations of mismanagement by the agency’s leadership. He was tasked with reforming the agency and setting it on a new path.
Before UNRWA, Saunders was the Assistant Secretary-General, Office of Central Support-Services in the Department of Management and the Assistant Secretary-General for Supply Chain Management in the Department of Operational Support.
Career
Saunders began his career in 1984 working in humanitarian relief for Save the Children in the Sudan where he established and managed refugee camps and then in Mozambique overseeing the relief and development program. In 1989, his United Nations career began with UNRWA in Gaza during the First Intifada. Subsequently, he served in several field positions with the , and the United Nations Office of the Special Coordinator for Sarajevo . He later undertook short term assignments on behalf of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to set up their emergency humanitarian response operations in both Kosovo and East Timor.
Starting in 2001, Saunders held a series of senior management positions at the United Nations Secretariat in New York City. Some of his achievements included: coordinating duty of care for humanitarian personnel across the affected countries during the Ebola Outbreak in 2014; overseeing the successful deployment of the UN’s new enterprise resource planning system - UMOJA - and advancing the Secretary General’s management reforms. He also co-chaired the working group which developed the UN’s new ‘whistleblower’ protection policy in 2017.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East
At UNRWA, Saunders prioritised operational continuity and introduced management reforms to strengthen the agency and promote greater transparency, effectiveness and accountability. In a brief period, he obtained overwhelming support for the renewal of UNRWA’s mandate by the United Nations General Assembly, unlocked donor funding that had been frozen due to the investigation, and secured pledges for additional funds..
Other activities
* Member of High Level Task Force on UN Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
* Board Member of United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund
* Member of International Gender Champions.
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