The UN Resident Coordinator Office

The UN Resident Coordinator Office in Kenya

The United Nations Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) in Kenya plays a pivotal role in supporting the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) and ensuring cohesive UN engagement across the country. As the highest-ranking representative of the UN Development System at the country level, the Resident Coordinator leads and coordinates the activities of the UN Country Team (UNCT) to deliver on Kenya's sustainable development agenda.

The Role of the UN Resident Coordinator

The UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya serves as the UN Secretary-General's representative, leading efforts to implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-2026. The RC’s mandate includes:

  • Strategic Leadership: The RC represents the United Nations at the highest levels, engaging with the Government of Kenya, civil society, academia, development partners, and the private sector to drive progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • Coordinated Development Support: The RC ensures a coherent and strategic response to national development priorities, working closely with UNCT members, including Non-Resident Agencies, to meet Kenya’s needs.
  • Advocacy and Partnerships: The RC champions the core values of the UN Charter, including human rights, gender equality, and the commitment to 'Leave No One Behind' by prioritizing support for the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Core Functions of the Resident Coordinator Office in Kenya

The RCO in Kenya operates through five core functions:

  • Strategic Planning: Facilitates strategic planning processes for the UNCT, ensuring alignment with national priorities and the UNSDCF’s objectives.
  • Economics: Provides expert economic analysis to support evidence-based policy decisions and development planning.
  • Partnerships and Development Finance: Engages with diverse stakeholders to mobilize resources, strengthen partnerships, and enhance financing for sustainable development.
  • Data and Results Management & Reporting: Manages data collection, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on UNSDCF implementation to ensure transparency and accountability.
  • Communications and Advocacy: Amplifies UN efforts through strategic communications, raising awareness of the SDGs and the UN’s impact on Kenya’s development.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-2026

The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Kenya 2022- 2026 (UNSDCF-Kenya 2022-2026) is a core instrument for providing a coherent, strategic direction for UN development activities by all UN entities at the country level. It guides the UN system in planning and implementing development activities at the country level and in mobilising a broad range of development partners beyond the United Nations.

The Cooperation Framework represents the collective agreement of UN Kenya’s agencies, funds, and programmes and the Government of Kenya to support Kenya's national priorities, as outlined in Vision 2030, by addressing gaps on its pathway toward achieving the SDGs with a commitment to leave no one behind. The Cooperation Framework is a dynamic framework and is aligned with Kenya’s Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV) as well as with the sustainable development priorities articulated by the new Government following the August 2022 elections.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya

Dr. Stephen Jackson of Ireland is the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kenya, appointed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres with the host Government’s approval, effective from 1 March 2021.

Mr. Jackson brings close to 30 years of experience in international development, peacebuilding and humanitarian affairs to the position, including more than 10 years in Sub-Saharan Africa. At the United Nations, he most recently served as Resident Coordinator in Gabon, after holding leadership positions at the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) and with United Nations Peacekeeping. In DPA, he served as Chief of Policy Planning and Guidance, headed the Secretariat to the High-Level Review of United Nations Peacebuilding in 2015, worked as Team Leader of the Mediation Support Unit, was Chief of Staff of the United Nations Office in Burundi (BNUB), led the Policy Planning Unit as well as the Africa Great Lakes Team, and worked as Special Adviser to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes. With Peacekeeping, he served as a Senior Political Adviser with the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).

Prior to joining the Organization, Mr. Jackson was the Deputy Director of the Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum (CPPF) at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in New York and served as the Director of the International Famine Centre and a Lecturer in Sociology at the National University of Ireland in Cork after working in humanitarian relief and development in Angola, Rwanda and Somalia.

He holds a doctorate in cultural anthropology and a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University, USA, as well as a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.