David Melo, Director and Country Representative of UNOPS in Costa Rica

“Improving people’s quality of life and supporting countries in achieving sustainable development is the mission of UNOPS. We do this with transparency, by applying resilience, promoting social management, and incorporating gender, diversity, inclusion, and climate change criteria into our projects.”

E-mail

LinkedIn

As Director and Representative of UNOPS in Costa Rica, David leads the implementation of the organization’s institutional strategy in the country, fosters key partnerships with national stakeholders, and oversees a project portfolio focused on sustainable infrastructure, water and sanitation, and institutional strengthening.

Previously, he served as Head of Programme for UNOPS in Nicaragua, where he led multidisciplinary teams in the implementation of complex, high-impact social projects. He also worked as a Project Manager for UNOPS in Nicaragua and Brazil, managing strategic public infrastructure, health, and education initiatives.

With more than 25 years of experience in international organizations, governmental institutions, and multilateral agencies, David has worked across Latin America and the Caribbean, contributing to the design, implementation, and supervision of urban development, public health, and heritage revitalization programs.

Throughout his career, he has led flagship projects such as REFORSUS, an initiative funded by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to strengthen Brazil’s public health system; and UNESCO’s MONUMENTA program, which promoted the sustainable revitalization of 26 historic urban centers in Brazil. He also collaborated with the World Bank on the PRESSAL Project (Argentina) and the design of the SAHR Project (South Africa), both focused on strengthening health systems.

In addition, he has contributed to university infrastructure expansion programs in Brazil, the Historic Cities Development Acceleration Program, and regional initiatives in cooperation with PAHO and UNDP.

David is an architect and urban planner graduated from the University of Brasília, with studies in Architectural Design for Complex Projects at UNAM (Mexico) and a specialization in Public Policy and Management from the Metropolitan University of Belo Horizonte (Brazil). He complements his academic background with extensive experience in international technical cooperation, strategic planning, and sustainable infrastructure management.