Mr. Booth succeeds Mr. Dirk Wagener whose tenure as the UNDP Resident Representative in Papua New Guinea ended earlier this June. 

Mr. Booth, who is a national of the United Kingdom, has served as an international civil servant under different UN agencies for over 20 years. He joins UNDP Papua New Guinea from UNDP’s Regional Hub in Bangkok, where he most recently took charge of managing the Regional Programme and Global Policy Network. 

A barrister with law degrees from both Cambridge and Oxford Universities in the United Kingdom, Mr. Booth is a human rights lawyer by training and has devoted his career to solving issues surrounding rule of law, access to justice and conflict prevention.  He has served in Kosovo and Vietnam, and worked in and with UNDP Country Offices all over Asia and the Pacific as part of his regional job in Bangkok.

During his meeting with Secretary Wohengu, Mr. Booth expressed his enthusiasm for joining UNDP in Papua New Guinea, stating, “This marks the first time that I am stepping foot in your beautiful country, and I cannot wait to experience the famous cultural, linguistic and natural diversity of Papua New Guinea for myself. In my role as the UNDP Resident Representative, I am determined to support Papua New Guinea in adapting to the threat posed by climate change and ensuring the country’s vast natural resources will equitably benefit the current and future generations. I also look forward to strengthening UNDP’s ongoing efforts to empower and protect Papua New Guinean women and girls.”

Secretary Wohengu warmly welcomed Mr. Booth to Papua New Guinea and commended UNDP for its continued commitment to supporting the Government in achieving its development goals.