United Nations Resident Coordinator in China Stephen Jackson Visits the ICC

Zhou Hong (Left) and Stephen Jackson (Right)

On 20 May 2026, the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) in China Stephen Jackson paid a visit to the International Cooperation Center (ICC). Zhou Hong, Chairperson of the Academic Committee of the ICC and Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and Zhang Yu, Convenor of the Joint Meeting and Director of the Steering Committee of the ICC, met with him. Both sides held discussions on deepening strategic cooperation between the ICC and the United Nations System in China, jointly conducting research and coordination on major issues, organizing forward-looking high-level dialogues and thematic meetings, as well as yielding important outcomes. Both sides noted that history proves multilateralism, solidarity and cooperation are the right way to tackle global challenges. Multilateralism and the work of the United Nations are confronted with unprecedented difficulties. Both sides will take a long-term perspective, scale up strategic coordination, uphold true multilateralism, boost dialogue and cooperation between China and other countries, and make greater contributions to world peace and development.

Stephen Jackson grants an interview to China Media Group (CMG)

Both sides pointed out that over the past 80 years, as a universal, representative and authoritative intergovernmental organization, the United Nations has stood tests including the Cold War confrontation, regional conflicts and economic crises. It played an irreplaceable role in safeguarding international peace and security, advancing global development, promoting and protecting human rights. The world has entered a new turbulent and transformational era, with unilateralism and protectionism gaining ground. Standing at a historical crossroads, only by upholding true multilateralism and working together all countries can resolve global development challenges, furthermore to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. As a founding member and permanent Security Council member, China firmly supports the UN cause and actively engages in international cooperation. It contributes Chinese wisdom and strength to global governance and fulfills its responsibilities as a major country with concrete actions. Going forward, the ICC will further deepen cooperation with the United Nations System in China, enhance policy coordination between China and major economies, for boosting synergy in multilateral development cooperation. It will consolidate global development partnerships, together with the UN, strengthen exchanges on development philosophies, alignment of development policies and matching of development resources with Global South countries to advance common development, finally to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

The two sides held talks

Both sides also discussed other important matters. Prior to the talks, the head of the ICC briefed Stephen Jackson on the ICC’s high-level exchanges and policy coordination with different countries and international organizations such as the United Nations in recent years. Stephen Jackson visited the ICC’s Exhibition Room, where he watched displays and listened to explanations of archival materials of older generation Chinese leaders, including Zhou Enlai, Dong Biwu and Guo Moruo. The two sides exchanged views on the history of China’s relations and interactions with the United Nations. Other representatives who joined the meeting were: Liang Yuehuai, Expert on Eurasian Affairs of the ICC, Zhu Hongshan, Representative of Economic Affairs at the ICC, Cheng Yu, Executive Secretary-General of the ICC, Yang Chaolun, Resident Expert of the ICC, Wu Zhonglin, Executive Director of the Development Committee at the ICC; and Zhong Jing, Senior Executive Associate to UNRC, Lou Ya, Partnership and Financing Officer of the UNRC Office.

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As a comprehensive international strategic research institution, the International Cooperation Center (ICC) serves as a gateway for China's foreign exchanges and international cooperation. Boasting extensive experience in forward-looking research on international issues and policy coordination, it is a long-term strategic partner of the United Nations System in China. The UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC) in China is the top resident representative of the United Nations in the country. The UNRC oversees the work of the UN Country Team in China, coordinates resources and projects of various UN agencies, engages with the Chinese Government to advance national development priorities, implement the Sustainable Development Goals and foster cooperation with all partners. Both the ICC and the Office of the UNRC in China are member entities of the Joint Steering Committee under the “United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for china (UNSDCF)” between China and the UN system. In recent years, the two sides have jointly hosted a series of events including “UN Summit of the Future China Preparatory Meeting”, “International Dialogue on Development and Cooperation in the Global South”, and “International Symposium on Asia-Pacific Cooperation and Development”. The ICC supported the UN System in china in holding special events marking “the 45th anniversary of the United Nations in China” in 2024 and “International Dialogue Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of United Nations” in 2025. It has facilitated the integration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with China's medium and long-term national development plans, making important contributions to building a global development community.

Stephen Jackson, Irish national, serves as UN Resident Coordinator in China. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin and Princeton University. Starting from the 1990s, he engaged in humanitarian relief and development assistance operations in Somalia, Rwanda and Angola. Prior to joining the UN, he held posts as Deputy Director of the Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in New York, as well as Director at the International Famine Centre at University College Cork (UCC), Ireland, and Lecturer in Sociology at UCC. Within the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, he successively served as Chief of Policy Planning and Guidance, Head of the Secretariat for the 2015 High-level Review of Peacebuilding Architecture, and Head of the Mediation Support Unit. While heading the UN Office in Burundi, he oversaw the Policy Planning Unit and Great Lakes Unit, and acted as Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General's Envoy for the Great Lakes Region. He also worked as Senior Political Adviser with the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the Department of Peace Operations. He assumed the office of UN Resident Coordinator in Gabon from 2017 to 2021, and took up the same post in Kenya from 2021 to 2025. On April 1, 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Stephen Jackson as the new UN Resident Coordinator in China, who officially assumed duties on the same day.