Delivering as One, a UN in China conversation presented by Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee: Episode 18 with Zhang Zhenshan, UN-Habitat Programme Manager for China

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In this episode of the UN in China podcast, UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee sits down with Mr. Zhang Zhenshan, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Programme Manager for China.

Mr. Zhang, a Chinese national, was born in Hebei province, where he attended primary and secondary school. Afterwards, he enrolled at the then Harbin Architecture and Engineering College in 1979, where he majored in industrial and civil engineering.

After graduating from university in 1983, Mr. Zhang moved on to work for the Ministry of Construction of China. He later studied English in his spare time in preparation for his assignment within the Ministry’s international cooperation department. Here, he worked closely with UN-Habitat’s information office in Beijing, after which he began a role in 1996 as the Deputy Representative of the Chinese Permanent Mission to UN-Habitat in Kenya. He later joined UN-Habitat in 2002 as a Logistics Officer based in Iraq and then moved on to a variety of other roles before eventually joining the UN family in China as UN-Habitat Programme Manager for China, a role he has served in since 2009.

"We would like to work together with other UN agencies to focus on low-carbon development,"

In this episode, Mr. Zhang outlines the mission and work of UN-Habitat. Mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities, UN-Habitat is the focal point for urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat works in cooperation with partners, stakeholders and urban actors to provide its expertise in areas such as public spaces, smart cities and waste management in order to implement the New Urban Agenda and SDG 11.

During the conversation, Mr. Zhang highlighted UN-Habitat’s work in China to advise policymakers, regional and local governments and other partners such as universities, planning and research institutes on urban issues, and its cooperation with other UN entities, including the World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund.

Together with the Resident Coordinator, the two discuss other challenges and opportunities in the years ahead, as well as UN-Habitat’s work to leave no one behind and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the UN system in China. 

Zhang Zhenshan

Mr. Zhang Zhenshan boasts a distinguished career marked by extensive experience in urban development and international collaboration. He commenced his professional journey in the urban construction department, general office, and foreign affairs department of the Ministry of Construction of the People's Republic of China (now the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development).

From 1996 to 2001, Mr. Zhang served as the Deputy Representative of the Chinese Permanent Mission to UN-Habitat. In this role, he facilitated collaboration between UN-Habitat and the Government of China.

Mr. Zhang worked for UN-Habitat from 2002 to 2004, serving as the Logistics Officer of the UN-Habitat Settlement Rehabilitation Programme in Erbil, Iraq. Following, he served as the independent consultant for the UN-Habitat and Asian Development Bank, respectively. Then, Mr. Zhang served as the Chief Technical Advisor for the UN-Habitat Water for Asian Cities Programme from 2005 to 2009. During this period, he was responsible for multi-initiatives, including the Comprehensive Improvement in Qinhuai River Environment Programme in Nanjing City and the Mekong Water and Sanitation Initiative. Since 2009, Mr. Zhang has served as the UN-Habitat Programme Manager for China for liaising between UN-Habitat and the Government of China. 

Mr. Zhang is a professional on sustainable urban development and international exchange, focusing on Green and low Carbon Urban Development, Cities for Climate Change, Improving Urban Public Spaces, Urban Regeneration, City Prosperity Initiative, Water and Sanitation, Smart City, and Risk Reduction & Rehabilitation. 

Siddharth Chatterjee 

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.