Imran Riza

UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon

Imran Riza is the current UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon. Mr. Riza brings over 35 years of international experience across the United Nations System, mainly in field settings.  For the past three years, he was in Syria as United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator. Prior to this, he served in Lebanon as Deputy Head of Mission and Director of the Division of Political Affairs, Civil Affairs and Strategic Communications of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).   

Before UNIFIL, he served as the Regional Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries for the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UNHCR Representative for Jordan. With UNHCR, he has also served in Geneva, Sudan, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Mr. Riza has also held positions with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome and as Senior Adviser to the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for Lebanon, as well as with UNSCOL.  

Mr. Riza holds a master’s degree in Social-Cultural Anthropology from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from McGill University.  

Mr. Riza is a national of Pakistan and is fluent in English, French, and Urdu.