The UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Afghanistan

As a designated representative of the UN Secretary-General in Afghanistan, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan guides the UN’s engagement in humanitarian and development activities in the country.

The UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator’s responsibilities include ensuring the coordination of the UN’s humanitarian action and development activities, creating a platform of coordinated delivery, promoting the enhancement of national capacities, and ensuring effective advocacy of UN values, standards, principles and activities on behalf of the UN with the highest level of Government.

The UN Resident Coordinator for Afghanistan

Mr. Indrika Ratwatte is the Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.

Mr. Ratwatte brings over 30 years of experience in humanitarian affairs and protection in complex and crisis settings, including over 14 years of working on Afghanistan and regional issues.  He started his career with the United Nations in 1992, with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and continued his career with the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1993.   His most recent positions have included Director of the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, where he previously also served as Deputy, and UNHCR Representative in Pakistan. He served with UNHCR as Deputy Representative in the United Republic of Tanzania and Pakistan, along with prior assignments in Thailand, Croatia, China, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mr. Ratwatte holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, United States, and a bachelor’s degree in English and sociology from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.   He is also an attorney-at-law from Sri Lanka Law College.