Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

{{Short description|Senior United Nations role}}

{{More citations needed|date=July 2008}}

{{Infobox Political post

| post = Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

| body = the
United Nations

| insignia = Emblem of the United Nations.svg

| insigniacaption = Emblem of the United Nations

| insigniasize = 100px

| imagesize = 165px

| image =

| incumbent = Thomas Fletcher

| incumbentsince = October 2024

| formation = General Assembly Resolution 46/182.{{UN document |docid=A-RES-46-182 |type=Resolution |body=General Assembly |session=46 |resolution_number=182 |accessdate=2008-04-09|date=19 December 1991|title=Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian emergency assistance of the United Nations}}
December 1991

| inaugural = Jan Eliasson
1992

| website = {{URL| https://www.unocha.org/our-leadership|unocha.org}}

| commons = United Nations Secretariat

}}

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator is a high-level position in the United Nations that heads the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The position has been held since October 2024 by Thomas Fletcher, the sixth Briton in a row to serve in the role.

History

The post of Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) was created by UN resolution 46/182 in December 1991 to coordinate the efforts of the United Nations, member states and the wider humanitarian community in response to natural and man-made emergencies.

The post is one of five cabinet-level UN positions that are traditionally held by nationals from the five permanent members of the Security Council; since 2007, six British nationals have been appointed to that position.Patrick Wintour (May 12, 2021), [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/12/yemen-envoy-martin-griffiths-top-united-nations-un-humanitarian-job Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths to take on top UN humanitarian job] The Guardian. Before 2007, British nationals held the position of Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs for more than a decade.Warren Hoge (February 10, 2007), [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/10/world/10nations.html U.N. Chief Gives Key Post to American] New York Times.

List of Under-Secretaries-General

class="wikitable"
#NameNationalityOffice enteredOffice left
1

| Jan Eliasson

| {{flagicon|Sweden}} Sweden

| 1992

| 1994

2

| Peter Hansen

| {{flagicon|Denmark}} Denmark

| 1994

| 1996

3

| Yasushi Akashi

| {{flagicon|Japan}} Japan

| 1996

| 1998

4

| Sérgio Vieira de Mello

| {{flagicon|Brazil}} Brazil

| 1998

| January 2001

5

| Kenzo Oshima

| {{flagicon|Japan}} Japan

| January 2001

| June 2003

6

| Jan Egeland

| {{flagicon|Norway}} Norway

| June 2003

| December 2006

7

| John Holmes

| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom

| January 2007Warren Hoge (February 10, 2007), [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/10/world/10nations.html U.N. Chief Gives Key Post to American] New York Times.

| September 2010

8

| Valerie Amos

| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom

| September 2010{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2010/db100726.doc.htm |title=Daily Press Briefing by the Offices of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General |date=26 July 2010 |publisher=United Nations, Department of Public Information, News and Media Division |access-date=19 August 2010 }}Nicholas Watt (July 9, 2010), [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/09/valerie-amos-un-humanitarian-affairs Lady Amos given top UN humanitarian affairs job] The Guardian.

| May 2015

9

| Stephen O'Brien

| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom

| May 2015Michelle Nichols (March 9, 2015), [https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-aid-un-idUKKBN0M51SR20150309 MP Stephen O'Brien named new U.N. aid chief] Reuters.

| September 2017

10

| Mark Lowcock

| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom

| September 2017Ben Parker (May 10, 2017), [https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/feature/2017/05/10/uk-technocrat-appointed-un-humanitarian-chief-reports UK technocrat appointed UN humanitarian chief - reports] The New Humanitarian.

| July 2021

11

| Martin Griffiths

| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom

| July 2021

| March 2024

12

| Thomas Fletcher

| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom

| October 2024[https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/personnel-appointments/2024-10-09/mr-tom-fletcher-of-the-united-kingdom-under-secretary-general-for-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator United Nations, "Mr. Tom Fletcher of the United Kingdom - Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator"], 9 October 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.

| current

References

{{reflist}}