UNICEF Representative to Montenegro
Under the leadership of Juan Santander, UNICEF continues to support the development of a society that provides equal rights and opportunities for every child in Montenegro
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PODGORICA, 16 JUNE 2020 – Juan Santander, a Spanish and Argentinian national, begins new tenure today as UNICEF Representative to Montenegro.
After many years of international experience with UNICEF in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Venezuela, and Thailand, Santander is looking forward to working with UNICEF’s partners in Montenegro.
UNICEF will continue to support the development of a society that provides equal rights and opportunities for every child in Montenegro.
Following consultations with the Government of Montenegro, Santander was appointed UNICEF’s Representative to Montenegro by UNICEF’s Executive Director, Henrietta Fore. Prior to his engagement in Montenegro, Santander served as the Deputy Representative for UNICEF in Thailand and Venezuela. Before that, he worked as the Chief of Social Policy, Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation in Lebanon, Chief of Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation in Yemen and Knowledge Management Specialist in Iraq. Before joining UNICEF, Santander worked for the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq and for UNDP in Iraq.
Santander holds a Master’s degree in Global Studies from Albert Ludwig University, one of the oldest and most prestigious German and Western European higher education institutions. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.
Santander is the fourth UNICEF Representative to Montenegro since the country regained its independence in 2006. During the tenure of his predecessors – Osama Khogali, Benjamin Perks, and Nola Skinner – UNICEF supported Montenegro to make visible progress in protecting the rights of children with disabilities and children without parental care, protecting children from violence, increasing the coverage of children in preschool education, improving the quality of formal and non-formal education, media literacy, and youth participation in society, etc.
