WHO’s WHO – Stephen O’Malley: Arrived in Kosovo with experience from Kazakhstan and Africa

A Canadian with 25 years of experience in humanitarian and development work, Stephen O’Malley has served as the United Nations Development Coordinator in Kosovo since 2 August.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he is a dynamic leader in the development and humanitarian field who delivers results for people in highly challenging situations. He is described as a skilled negotiator, capable of building partnerships with governmental, non-governmental, and private sector stakeholders, and as a persuasive presenter, able to advocate at the highest levels of government by translating complex global concepts into concrete local solutions.

O’Malley was appointed UN Development Coordinator in Kosovo by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

In a 2019 interview, given while serving in South Sudan, O’Malley said he believed he had always known that he wanted to work internationally.

When asked what motivates him every day, he said it is the feeling that one can somehow make a difference.

“It may not be a huge difference, but that every day you can make a difference,” he noted.

He highlighted the following as the main humanitarian challenges of today: the large number of displaced persons or refugees with very limited prospects of resettlement or return to their homes within any reasonable timeframe.

O’Malley met with UNMIK Head Caroline Ziadeh on 12 August. According to the statement released, they discussed the efforts the UN is making in Kosovo, especially in building trust among communities. It was also stated that they exchanged views on the UN’s ongoing collective efforts in Kosovo, focusing on building trust, fostering cooperation, and creating opportunities that bring Kosovo’s diverse communities closer together.

O’Malley arrived in Kosovo directly from Kazakhstan, where he served as the UN Resident Coordinator from November 2024 until June this year.

Before that, he was Director of the “Peer-to-Peer” project, an initiative of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s Emergency Directors Group, which provides peer support to humanitarian coordinators and humanitarian country teams.

At the same time, he served as Deputy Acting Director for Africa in the Operations and Advocacy Division of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Previously, he had been Deputy Acting Director for Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

According to his official biography, he also held other leadership positions within OCHA, including Head of Office for South Sudan.

He also served as Head of the COVID-19 Team, Deputy Director of the Coordination and Response Division, and Chief of the Central Emergency Response Fund Secretariat in New York.

From August 2013 to August 2018, he was UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative for Barbados and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

Médecins Sans Frontières

Before joining the United Nations, O’Malley worked with Médecins Sans Frontières in Africa, Europe, and North America, where, as he himself has stated, his introduction to the world of humanitarian aid began.

He started his career in the private sector with the Toronto-based company Decima Research.

O’Malley holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (USA), a Master’s degree in Political Studies, and an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Queen’s University (Canada).

He is married and has two daughters.