Profile

Ms. Elvira Goetz is responsible for UN coordination in the Asia-Pacific region and works very closely with the Regional Director of UNESCO Office in Bangkok.

Elvira looks back at 20 years of progressively responsible experience with the United Nations. She worked for four UN entities at country, regional and Headquarters level: she was responsible for building public-private partnerships for UNESCO and was based in the Bureau of Strategic Planning in Paris, France. Later on, Elvira was seconded to UNCDF to establish the Secretariat of UNITLIFE in Paris, France, working alongside Mr Philippe Douste-Blazy, President of UNITLIFE and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of France. She drafted and implemented the ILO’s first Private Sector outreach and fundraising strategy and drove a change agenda in the Organization based in Geneva,

Switzerland. In June 2021, Elvira was transferred to Nairobi, Kenya, where she developed UNESCO’s first Regional Support Strategy for Eastern Africa. In 2023, Elvira was seconded to the WFP Kenya Country Office where she secured major partnerships with the Private Sector and increased the brand awareness of WFP. Since February 2024, Elvira has been based in Bangkok, Thailand as UN Coordination Officer for the Asia-Pacific region. She is an established development professional and experienced in fundraising, policy analysis, change management, results-based management, mainstreaming gender equality, efficiently running an Executive Office and intergovernmental processes.

A German national, Elvira lived and worked outside of her home country for the last 20 years. Prior to joining the United Nations, Elvira worked in the Private Sector in the airline industry (Air France and Swiss International Airlines) as well as in the international trade fair business by being responsible for visitor and exhibitor acquisitions for the fine Art Fair in Frankfurt, Germany and Brussels, Belgium. Elvira is an alumni of the prestigious US International Visitor Leadership Program offered by nomination only.