Topics: Legislative Affairs, Economic Cooperation and Development
Regions: None specified
William Davis is currently the Director of the UNDP Representation Office in Washington. This Office acts as a liaison with the US Government – the US Congress – as well as think tanks, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), media, and the academic, diplomatic, and business communities, informing them about UNDP’s role, capabilities, programmes and results.
From 2005 to 2011, Mr. Davis was the Director of the UN Information Centre in Washington. In that capacity, he was the UN Secretariat’s senior representative in Washington, serving as a spokesman for the organization and working with officials in the Executive Branch, Congress, the media, civil society and the business community to strengthen the relationship between the UN and the US.
Before joining the UN, Mr. Davis was the Director for Global and Functional Affairs in the US State Department’s Bureau of Legislative Affairs. Mr. Davis oversaw the Department’s interaction with Congress on global priorities such as international organizations, human rights and refugee affairs. He was also the Department’s senior legislative adviser on relations with Congress regarding the Secretary of State’s Office of Reconstruction and Stabilization.
From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Davis was the Deputy Head of the Public Affairs Division for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He served as the OECD’s main liaison with the private sector, organized labour, NGOs and parliamentarians. He was also instrumental in establishing the now-annual OECD Forum, one of the world’s largest high-level civil society/government summits. From 1998 to 2001, Mr. Davis was the Head of the Center for Public Affairs of the OECD’s Washington Office, responsible for all aspects of OECD’s outreach in the US and Canada.
From 1990 to 1998, Mr. Davis served in the State Department’s Bureau of Legislative Affairs and on the White House’s National Security Council staff. Mr. Davis’ other government service includes tenure as a Presidential Management Intern in the Executive Office of the President’s Office of Administration, as well as assignments with the US Department of Treasury and the US Department of Defense.
Mr. Davis graduated cum laude from Duke University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy Studies, also from Duke University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Source: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/speakers-corner/speakers/will-davis/
