María del Carmen Sacasa

María del Carmen Sacasa is an international expert in sustainable development, with over twenty-five years of experience in leadership and management positions. She holds an MSc in Urban Planning and Regional Development from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a degree in Architecture from the Autonomous University of Central America, Costa Rica.

Prior to her role as Deputy Regional Director for UNDP in Latin America and the Caribbean, she served in Panama as Resident Representative and Senior Advisor at the Regional Center for Latin America and the Caribbean of UNDP. Sacasa led the United Nations System in Peru as Resident Coordinator (2015-2019), and the UNDP team in Peru as Resident Representative (2015-2021), applying her expertise in development processes, human rights, security, and humanitarian assistance.

Previously, she was part of the UNDP management team in Mexico as Deputy Resident Representative (2011-2015) and Acting Resident Representative (2012). She also served as Deputy Country Director (2007-2011) and Acting Country Director at the UNDP office in Colombia. She began her career at UNDP as Program Coordinator and Democratic Governance Coordinator for UNDP in Nicaragua.

Since 2024, María del Carmen Sacasa has joined the regional leadership of UNDP to contribute to accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim of achieving the targets set within the framework of the 2030 Agenda.