Jamaican Michelle Gyles-McDonnough appointed to senior UN development role
Key Points(5)
- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Jamaican Michelle Gyles-McDonnough as assistant secretary-general for development coordination at the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO).
- Gyles-McDonnough succeeds Oscar Fernandez-Taranco of Argentina in the senior leadership position.
- In a statement announcing the appointment, the United Nations said Gyles-McDonnough brings more than three decades of leadership experience in sustainable development, international trade, international relations, policy advocacy and organizational transformation.
- “Throughout her career, she has led complex, multidisciplinary portfolios spanning economic, social, environmental and governance issues, advancing sustainable development across diverse national and global contexts,” the UN said.
- Before that, she served as director of the Sustainable Development Unit in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General in New York from 2017 to 2025.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Jamaican Michelle Gyles-McDonnough as assistant secretary-general for development coordination at the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO).
Gyles-McDonnough succeeds Oscar Fernandez-Taranco of Argentina in the senior leadership position.
In a statement announcing the appointment, the United Nations said Gyles-McDonnough brings more than three decades of leadership experience in sustainable development, international trade, international relations, policy advocacy and organizational transformation.
“Throughout her career, she has led complex, multidisciplinary portfolios spanning economic, social, environmental and governance issues, advancing sustainable development across diverse national and global contexts,” the UN said.
“Recognised for driving institutional change, she has successfully led strengthened capacities, championed digital transformation and fostered innovative development solutions through strategic partnerships with governments, United Nations entities and other stakeholders.”
Gyles-McDonnough currently serves as executive director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), a position she has held since 2025.
Before that, she served as director of the Sustainable Development Unit in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General in New York from 2017 to 2025.
Her extensive UN career also includes serving as UN resident coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam from 2013 to 2016.
From 2008 to 2013, she held the same positions for Barbados and the member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Gyles-McDonnough previously served as program adviser in the UNDP Executive Office/Operations Support Group from 2006 to 2008, Caribbean regional adviser for UNDP in 2005, and chief of the UNDP subregional policy advisory facility for the Caribbean from 1999 to 2004.
She also coordinated the Grenada Recovery Programme from 2004 to 2005 following a devastating hurricane that caused damage estimated at more than 200% of the country's gross domestic product.
Before joining the United Nations, Gyles-McDonnough practiced international trade law and served as legal adviser at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C.
She also worked as an adviser to the secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS) on international trade matters and as a teaching assistant at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Gyles-McDonnough holds a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia University School of Law, with honors in international and foreign law, and a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
She also earned an executive education diploma from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
She completed her undergraduate studies at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, earning a degree in economics with a minor in French.
In addition to English, she has professional working proficiency in French.
