Mr. Surendra Shrestha, a national of Nepal, assumed his position as UNEP's Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific region, after having served the organization as the Regional Coordinator of the Division of Early Warning and Assessment. He is well known throughout the region for his work in mobilizing political and financial support for UNEP's programmes and leading multi-disciplinary teams in the areas of assessment, policy development and multilateral agreements.

As graduate in economics and computer science, he has previously held senior positions at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu. Mr. Shrestha is renowned for his sharp political sense, diplomacy, and foresight in dealing with emerging issues. He spearheaded the formulation of the UNEP Asia Pacific strategy and implementation plan.