UN Secretary-General Appoints Gaurav Ray as Resident Coordinator in Bhutan
Australia-based development practitioner takes up key UN role in Thimphu effective 8 November 2025
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has appointed Gaurav Ray of Australia as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bhutan, subject to the approval of the host government, effective 8 November 2025.
Mr Ray brings more than 25 years of experience in humanitarian and development work, having held leadership and technical roles in complex environments.
Most recently, he served as Head of Office and Senior Representative of the German Red Cross in Bangladesh, where he oversaw strategic direction, operations management, advocacy for anticipatory action and climate resilience, and partnerships while supporting refugee operations in Cox’s Bazar.
Prior to that, his career included senior posts at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Australian Red Cross, RedR Australia, Emergency Management Australia and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre.
His field missions span Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Thailand, with professional focus on disaster risk management, emergency response, community resilience, surge capacity and programme development.
For the past two decades Mr Ray has emphasised risk-informed, inclusive and sustainable development, deploying diplomacy, stakeholder convening, systems thinking and inter-agency coordination to advance complex development responses.
His academic qualifications include a Master of Business Administration in international business from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, a Master in management from ESCP-EAP (Oxford, UK), a postgraduate diploma in humanitarian assistance from Fordham University (US), a certificate in disaster management from the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (Thailand) and a Bachelor’s degree in physics from Fergusson College, University of Pune (India).
In his new capacity in Thimphu, Mr Ray will lead the UN Country Team in Bhutan and coordinate the United Nations development system’s support to the Royal Government of Bhutan in defining and delivering its development priorities under the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
The role positions him as the highest-ranking UN development official in the country, accountable to both the UN Secretary-General and the host Government.
The appointment underscores the importance the United Nations places on strengthening country-level leadership in sustainable development, disaster resilience and humanitarian-development integration.
In Bhutan, a country with growing aspirations in climate resilience, inclusive growth and sustainable transformation, Mr Ray’s experience in risk-informed development and complex operational environments is expected to provide enhanced strategic focus and partnership brokering.
In accepting the role, Mr Ray takes up what is described by the United Nations Resident Coordinator system as a pivotal leadership position in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the mandate to “leave no one behind” through coordinated UN action on the ground.
The Royal Government of Bhutan’s approval of his appointment confirms its continued collaboration with the UN system.
Mr Ray’s arrival in Bhutan comes after the outgoing Resident Coordinator, Karla Robin Hershey, completed her tenure at the end of April 2025, marking the start of a new phase of UN-Bhutan cooperation under his leadership.
As the global development context grows more complex—amid climate shifts, humanitarian-development linkages and evolving financing mechanisms—Mr Ray’s appointment signals the United Nations’ intention to bolster its on-country strategic leadership and support to Bhutan’s development trajectory.
Mr Ray brings more than 25 years of experience in humanitarian and development work, having held leadership and technical roles in complex environments.
Most recently, he served as Head of Office and Senior Representative of the German Red Cross in Bangladesh, where he oversaw strategic direction, operations management, advocacy for anticipatory action and climate resilience, and partnerships while supporting refugee operations in Cox’s Bazar.
Prior to that, his career included senior posts at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Australian Red Cross, RedR Australia, Emergency Management Australia and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre.
His field missions span Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Thailand, with professional focus on disaster risk management, emergency response, community resilience, surge capacity and programme development.
For the past two decades Mr Ray has emphasised risk-informed, inclusive and sustainable development, deploying diplomacy, stakeholder convening, systems thinking and inter-agency coordination to advance complex development responses.
His academic qualifications include a Master of Business Administration in international business from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, a Master in management from ESCP-EAP (Oxford, UK), a postgraduate diploma in humanitarian assistance from Fordham University (US), a certificate in disaster management from the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (Thailand) and a Bachelor’s degree in physics from Fergusson College, University of Pune (India).
In his new capacity in Thimphu, Mr Ray will lead the UN Country Team in Bhutan and coordinate the United Nations development system’s support to the Royal Government of Bhutan in defining and delivering its development priorities under the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
The role positions him as the highest-ranking UN development official in the country, accountable to both the UN Secretary-General and the host Government.
The appointment underscores the importance the United Nations places on strengthening country-level leadership in sustainable development, disaster resilience and humanitarian-development integration.
In Bhutan, a country with growing aspirations in climate resilience, inclusive growth and sustainable transformation, Mr Ray’s experience in risk-informed development and complex operational environments is expected to provide enhanced strategic focus and partnership brokering.
In accepting the role, Mr Ray takes up what is described by the United Nations Resident Coordinator system as a pivotal leadership position in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the mandate to “leave no one behind” through coordinated UN action on the ground.
The Royal Government of Bhutan’s approval of his appointment confirms its continued collaboration with the UN system.
Mr Ray’s arrival in Bhutan comes after the outgoing Resident Coordinator, Karla Robin Hershey, completed her tenure at the end of April 2025, marking the start of a new phase of UN-Bhutan cooperation under his leadership.
As the global development context grows more complex—amid climate shifts, humanitarian-development linkages and evolving financing mechanisms—Mr Ray’s appointment signals the United Nations’ intention to bolster its on-country strategic leadership and support to Bhutan’s development trajectory.
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