Senior Conflict Resolution Expert
James Lee was appointed the first Ombudsman for UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS in 2002 after serving for many years as a volunteer on the Ombudsman Panel while he was the chief editor in UNDP. In 2018, the United Nations Secretary-General designated him Acting United Nations Ombudsman, in which assignment he served from April through August. He continues to work in retirement as a consultant, especially for the Office of the Ombudsman for UN Funds and Programmes and for other UN organizations, including the International Court of Justice, where he has provided mediation and ombuds services. Mr. Lee also performs work in English, French, and Spanish. In 2016 the International Ombudsman Association designated him Distinguished Ombudsman Emeritus.