Insight_3rd Edition_2

Irena Zubcevic, MS Director 1 Department of Economic and Social Affairs United Nations New York, NY www.irenazubcevic.com Celebrating three decades of work with the United Nations and previously with the Croatian gov- ernment, Ms. Zubcevic has garnered a laudable reputation for her expertise in international rela- tions and sustainable development. An alumna of the University of Zagreb, she holds a Bachelor of Science in linguistics and a Master of Science in humanities and social sciences. Ms. Zubcevic holds a postgraduate certificate in public admin- istration from Harvard University. She is also cer- tified by the Croatian Foreign Ministry Diplomatic Academy, the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, and the Cambridge Centre for Diplomatic Studies. Since 2018, Ms. Zubcevic has served as the director 1 of the intergovernmental policy and review branch of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development, building upon her work as a senior sustainable development officer and director 1 of the small island developing states, ocean and climate branch for the United Nations. With the United Nations, she has been helping countries, civil society, communities, private and business sectors and all other relevant stakeholders to implement sustainability in their development through global goals. Prior to joining the United Nations, Ms. Zubcevic served as a minister plenipotentiary for the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an advisor to the Croatian Ministry of Information. Ms. Zubcevic is the author of several professional studies and has contributed to “The Potential of the Blue Economy” and the first Global Sustainable Mobility Report, both in co- operation with the World Bank. She multilingual in French, Italian and Spanish, and has contributed extensively to inter- national journals. Looking toward the future, Ms. Zubcevic aspires to continue her work with an emphasis on creating more equal and inclusive societies with shared economic benefits for all, while preserving the environment and deal- ing with impacts of climate change by building capacity and empowering all stakeholders, including governments, civil society, the business sector and different industries.