Dr. Dena Assaf is the United Nations Resident Coordinator for the United Arab Emirates and the Deputy Commissioner-General of the United Nations at Expo 2020. Dr. Assaf has been with the United Nations for over 20 years in various senior management positions and advisory roles in both UN headquarters, supporting the Arab region, and in country offices. She has worked with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), United Nations Department of Peace Keeping (UN DPKO), and United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). While with UN Women, Dr. Assaf was the Regional Director for the Arab States, and worked to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women in the Arab region. While with UN Women she spearheaded a new regional strategy to strengthen the economic, political, and social rights of women in the Arab region. Prior to joining the UN, Dr. Assaf was in a leadership role in establishing the national development planning process for Palestine and led Palestine’s first several national development plans. She has also held academic positions, as well as advisory roles in civil society. Dr. Assaf is an engineer with degrees in Architecture, Urban Design, and Urban Planning. She is an artist in her own right, and believes in the voice and important role of all creative communities in advancing development and human rights in our societies. Dr. Assaf is a Palestinian and American, and is fluent in both English and Arabic. United