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Delivering as One, a UN in China conversation presented by Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee: Episode 3 with Giuseppe Crocetti

18 December 2021

Caption: UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee sits down with Giuseppe Crocetti, the Chief of Mission in China and Mongolia for the International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Delivering as One, is a podcast series that brings you the stories behind the representatives of the UN family in China.

In the third episode of the Delivering as One podcast, UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee sits down with Giuseppe Crocetti, the Chief of Mission in China and Mongolia for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), ahead of International Migrants Day on 18 December.

Harnessing the potential of human mobility

An Italian national, Mr. Crocetti was brought up by a family of teachers, learning from the memory of his grandfather, who migrated from Italy to the United States of America between the two world wars. Admitted to the Bar following his legal studies, he provided legal aid and pro bono representation to destitute migrants in his spare time while practicing law before the Italian courts.

Caption: Mr. Crocetti tracing his family heritage at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, USA

This passion turned into a career with the United Nations, initially serving in Africa, where he saw with his own eyes the conditions of poverty and inequality that pushed the very same migrants he assisted as a lawyer to leave everything and everyone behind, in search for a better life – just like his grandfather did, almost a century earlier.

Caption: Mr. Crocetti in Arusha, Tanzania, during his time at the UN ICTR

Having worked in China since late 2018, Mr. Crocetti is responsible for leading IOM’s efforts in China in several areas of work including immigration and border management, labour mobility, migrant protection, data and research, and partnership, while promoting the role of migration in achieving sustainable development.

Caption: Mr. Crocetti in dialogue with migrants of Asian and African origins in Guangzhou

In this episode, Mr. Crocetti shares his insights learned on the ground in China ahead of International Migrants Day on the crucial role migrants play in building stronger and sustainable communities.

Caption: Mr. Crocetti speaking at an IOM event in Beijing

Together with the Resident Coordinator, the two discuss China and IOM relations at their 20th “friendship” anniversary, the growing importance of migration in China, and IOM’s work in China to leave no one behind and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the UN system in China.

Mr. Crocetti at a football tournament with the UN family — Caption: Mr. Crocetti as the captain of the One UN football team at a tournament with the UN family

Listen to the third episode of Delivering as One below and stay tuned for future instalments.

Giuseppe Crocetti

Born and raised in Torre Annunziata, a southeastern suburb of Naples, Italy, Mr. Giuseppe Crocetti graduated in Law and received his Masters in European Studies and International Relations from La Sapienza University in Rome.

Giuseppe joined IOM in 2005 and has since been with IOM in the Asia-Pacific region serving in South Asia, South East Asia, the Pacific and now East Asia. From 2007 to 2009 Mr. Crocetti was posted in Cambodia, leading IOM’s programming in the area of technical cooperation on migration management. In 2009 Mr. Crocetti was appointed as the IOM Chief of Mission in Papua New Guinea where he served for four years. From 2013 to 2018 Mr. Crocetti was the IOM Chief of Mission for Sri Lanka, accredited also to the Maldives, where he assisted the IOM Mission to expand exponentially its programme portfolio and field presence.

On 1 December 2018 he was appointed as the IOM Chief of Mission in the People’s Republic of China and the non-resident IOM Chief of Mission for Mongolia based in Beijing. Mr. Crocetti is married and has three children.

Siddharth Chatterjee

Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee took office as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China on 16 January 2021 and is the designated representative of - and reports to - the UN Secretary-General. He presented his letter of credence to the President of China on 14 April 2021.

Mr. Chatterjee has more than 25 years of experience in international cooperation, sustainable development, humanitarian coordination and peace and security in the United Nations and the Red Cross movement. He has served in many fragile and war-torn countries all over the world.

A 3 times TEDx speaker, he is a regular opinion contributor on humanitarian and development issues for a range of journals which includes Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Huffington Post, Forbes, CNN, Al Jazeera, the Guardian and as of late has also published in mainstream Chinese journals.

Mr. Chatterjee holds a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University in the United States of America.