Mr. Ugo Blanco, a national of Spain, serves as the Resident Representative for the UNDP Multi-Country Office (MCO) for Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten since July 2023. With a distinguished career spanning two decades, Ugo has extensive experience in international development, crisis response and recovery across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia as well as in Head Quarters.

Before his current role, Ugo was the Deputy Resident Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean MCO (2019-2023), where he oversaw development initiatives across ten countries and territories. He also served as Senior Recovery Advisor for the region, leading strategic recovery programs. From 2014 to 2018, Ugo was based in New York as a Regional Advisor in the UNDP Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean.
 

Earlier in his career, Ugo served as Special Assistant to the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean (2013-2014). He played a pivotal role in Haiti’s recovery efforts after the 2010 earthquake, first as Early Recovery Cluster Coordinator (2010-2012) and later as Head of the UNDP Poverty and Recovery Unit (2012-2013). From 2007 to 2010, Ugo managed the Disaster Risk Reduction portfolio in UNDP Vietnam and supported global crisis operations through the UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery in New York.
 

Ugo’s career began with NGOs and Civil Society Organizations (2003-2005), followed by his role as Spanish Representative for the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECID) in Indonesia (2005-2006).
He holds a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Political Sciences and Public Administration from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid; a Master’s in International Cooperation and Development from the University Institute of Development and Cooperation, Madrid; and did a Master’s in Human Resources Management Administration from the School of Politics, Madrid.
 

Beyond his professional endeavours, Ugo enjoys both playing and watching sports and is an avid chess enthusiast. He values his family time, cherishing every opportunity to spend time with his wife and children, trying to ensure a healthy balance between his career and personal life.

Career Highlights
•    Resident Representative, UNDP Multi-Country Office for Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten (2023–present)
•    Deputy Resident Representative, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean MCO (2019–2023)
•    Senior Recovery Advisor, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean (2018–2019)
•    Regional Advisor, UNDP Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP New York, USA (2014–2018)
•    Special Assistant to the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP New York, USA (2013–2014)
•    Head of Recovery, Livelihoods, and Poverty Reduction Unit, UNDP Haiti (2012–2013)
•    Early Recovery Cluster Coordinator, UNDP Haiti (2010–2012)
•    Programme Analyst, Global Pooled Fund, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, UNDP New York (2009–2010)
•    Programme Officer, Disaster Management and Avian Flu, UNDP Vietnam (2007–2009)
•    Country coordinator in Indonesia, Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (2005-2007)
•    Country Representative in Vietnam, Aid, Exchange and Development, NGO AIDA (2003-2005).
•    Project Coordinator in Peru, Del Valle Foundation (2002)
•    Master’s degree in international Cooperation and Development University Institute of Development and Cooperation, Spain (2001-2002) 
•    Bachelor degree in Political Sciences and Public Administration, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain (1996-2001)