Siddharth Chatterjee 常启德

I began my career with the United Nations 🇺🇳 in 1997, but my commitment to peace was shaped earlier, during a decade of military service 🇮🇳 . That period instilled discipline, duty and loyalty and also exposed me, at close range, to the human cost of violence. Over time, a growing unease took hold: the realisation that force alone cannot address the underlying drivers of conflict. That recognition ultimately led me to seek a different path. un-dco.org/stories/three-…

I join in wishing all those celebrating a peaceful and blessed Eid . At a time when the world 🌎 faces multiple crises, this is a moment to renew our shared commitment to peace, stability, solidarity & compassion. Eid Mubarak 🤝 🌙✨ @Global_Neighbrs

It’s incredible 👏 to see this transformation in real-time. Moving from the 'Grey' to the 'Blue' isn't just a win for the landscape; it’s a massive win for the health and well-being of millions of people. The scale of Beijing’s 🇨🇳 environmental recovery serves as a powerful blueprint for other rapidly growing global cities. Seeing 290+ clean air days and restored water health is proof that with political will and innovation, we can prioritize the planet alongside progress. 🌿🌏✨ @Global_Neighbrs

On behalf of Global Neighbours, we warmly wish everyone celebrating a joyful and peaceful Eid. May this special occasion bring happiness, unity, and blessings to you and your loved ones. Eid Mubarak 🌙✨

Global Neighbours had the pleasure of engaging in strategic discussions with partners from the International Cooperation Center (ICC) on the evolving landscape of China–Europe relations. The exchange highlighted a shared recognition: the current global environment presents a pivotal “time to change” and a unique opportunity to rethink how cross-regional dialogue is structured and advanced. In this context, both sides emphasized the importance of approaching China–Europe relations from a strategic, long-term perspective. The discussion further underscored the importance of: • Reaffirming China and Europe as partners, with cooperation at the core • Strengthening high-level dialogue to provide certainty in a turbulent global landscape • Taking a differentiated approach beyond traditional think tank formats As Global Neighbours continues to expand its engagement in China and Asia, we remain committed to fostering meaningful dialogue and building forward-looking partnerships that respond to global shifts. #ChinaEuropeRelations #InternationalCooperation

It was a profound honor to host Professor Peng Kaiping🎓, the Dean of the School of Social Sciences at 🇨🇳Tsinghua University and a visionary in the field of positive psychology, for a truly illuminating dialogue on the UN🇺🇳 in China🇨🇳 Podcast. Our conversation explored the vital nexus between mental well-being and physical action, reinforcing that happiness is not merely a passive state of mind, but a discipline of practice. We explored the science of wellness—from the physiological power of the vagus nerve🫁, harnessed through conscious breathing and cold exposure, to the critical impact of our dietary choices on our cognitive and emotional resilience. I was particularly moved by our discussion on how the courage to act overrides the paralysis of passive thought. In a world🌍 of increasing complexity, these small, intentional habits are the building blocks of the "Healthy China 🇨🇳 2030" vision and our shared pursuit of a more inclusive and resilient future🤝🌿. As we navigate this new chapter of global development, let us remember that the path to longevity and well-being is a conscious choice we make every day. 🎙️🧘‍♂️ #PositivePsychology #HealthyChina2030 #MentalHealth #Wellness #SDG3 #ActionTowardsHappiness #UNinChina #GlobalNeighbours Watch ⬇️ youtube.com/watch?v=2ZnZdl…

There are no words to describe the surge of emotion I felt watching this surprise from my team. It’s one thing to look back at the milestones we’ve reached together—from the halls of the Great Hall of the People 🇨🇳 to the global stage of the One Earth 🌍 Summit—but it is another thing entirely to hear the voices of the people who made it all possible. To my team at RCO 🇺🇳 China 🇨🇳- You didn't just support the mission; you became family. Thank you 🙏 for this beautiful reflection on our journey from 2021 to 2026. As I turn the page to a new chapter, I carry your kindness, your energy, and our shared memories with me. 🇺🇳🤝🇨🇳 youtu.be/ttMfATtXDaw?is…

On March 1, 2026, as I stepped away from my role as the United Nations 🇺🇳 Resident Coordinator to China 🇨🇳 , I did more than conclude a five-year term; I closed the book on a career spanning nearly three decades of public service. To look back across thirty years is to see a tapestry woven with the threads of many nations, many crises, and many triumphs. Yet, as I stand at this final horizon, I can say with absolute clarity: my time in China 🇨🇳 has been the jewel in the crown of my professional life.

We @Global_Neighbrs are thrilled to finally bring our mission of connection and bridge-building to this vibrant digital space! Joining X (formerly Twitter) marks an exciting new chapter for Global Neighbours as we look to deepen our dialogue across borders and cultures. In my 3 decades spent in international diplomacy, I have learned that the most profound changes often start with a simple, direct conversation. This platform is essentially the world’s 🌎 most active meeting room—minus the mahogany tables and formal protocols. We are so looking forward to engaging with you all, sharing insights from our work across Europe and Asia, and hearing your perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The "digital town square" can be noisy, but it is also where the most important debates of our time are being held. We at Global Neighbours invite you to join us in making this a space for constructive, curious, and bold communication. 🤝 🌎 Visit us ⬇️ globalneighbours.org/en

After three decades of service with the United Nations 🇺🇳, I am often asked where this journey now leads. I completed my final UN assignment as United Nations 🇺🇳 Resident Coordinator in China 🇨🇳 on March 1, 2026, and on March 2, 2026, I assumed a new role as CEO of Global Neighbours in Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹. At this meaningful juncture in my journey, I am delighted to share that I have been selected for the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Residency Program as a Bellagio Center Resident, where I will spend the month of March 2026 in the serene beauty of Bellagio, reflecting, writing, and engaging with an exceptional community of thinkers. The Bellagio Center has long been a place of reflection, ideas, and innovation, welcoming outstanding artists, policymakers, scholars, authors, practitioners, and scientists from across the globe 🌎. To be counted among a community that has included Maya Angelou, Dikgang Moseneke, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Mary Robinson, and so many others is a profound honor. My sincere gratitude 🙏 to @RockefellerFdn’s Bellagio Center 🇮🇹 for this exceptional opportunity to devote time to my book on Health and Wellbeing being published in June 2026 and to engage with such an inspiring cohort of thinkers from every discipline. I am honored of being part of this remarkable tradition. #RFBellagio @rajshah @SingoeiAKorir rockfound.link/3IY51GG

Happy International Women’s Day. 🌍 On International Women’s Day, I find myself reflecting not only on the remarkable achievements of women around the world 🌍, but also on the many women who have shaped and enriched my own life and professional journey. Over the course of more than three decades in the United Nations, I have had the privilege of working alongside extraordinary women — leaders, colleagues, and community champions — whose intelligence, integrity, and determination have strengthened institutions and advanced progress. Their leadership reminds us that inclusive societies and effective organizations are built when women’s voices, talents, and perspectives are fully recognized and valued. I am particularly grateful to the brilliant and courageous women who have inspired me throughout my career, including @HelenClarkNZ, @AminaJMohammed, Ms Jovanka Porsche (Chairwoman of Global Neighbours), @AMB_A_Mohammed, @AmbMonicaJuma, @eyee5, @deepalikhanna, Ms Poman Lo (Founder of One Earth Alliance), Ms Natalia Kanem (former Executive Director of UNFPA), and many others whose strength, wisdom, and compassion continue to demonstrate what it truly means to lead with purpose and courage. A special note of thanks 🙏 to @SarwatAdnan1 and the remarkable team of women in my former office at @UNinChina 🇺🇳🇨🇳. I remain deeply grateful for their dedication and support. I also salute the many women leaders of the UN Country Team in China 🇨🇳, whose passion, professionalism, and commitment exemplify the very best of leadership in advancing human development and dignity. International Women’s Day is both a celebration and a reminder: progress toward equality requires the commitment of all of us. By supporting and empowering women and girls, we help build stronger communities and a more just and hopeful future for everyone. Happy International Women’s Day 🌎

@TToga9 @ChinaAmbUN @ShangguanJiewen @UN_SDG @carogazevedo @CWilson_FCDO @Princeton @PrincetonSPIA @puclubjapan @AmaSande @ErikSolheim Thank you 🙏 Ambassador

@sidchat1 @ChinaAmbUN @ShangguanJiewen @UN_SDG @carogazevedo @CWilson_FCDO @Princeton @PrincetonSPIA @puclubjapan @AmaSande @ErikSolheim It was a great pleasure to have known and collaborated with you in Beijing. You are hard working, open minded and humble person. I vividly remember the cooperation we had in organizing events with UN systems under your leadership &the African Group in Beijing. Wish you my best.

I began my career with the United Nations 🇺🇳 in 1997, but my commitment to peace was shaped earlier, during a decade of military service 🇮🇳 . That period instilled discipline, duty and loyalty and also exposed me, at close range, to the human cost of violence. Over time, a growing unease took hold: the realisation that force alone cannot address the underlying drivers of conflict. That recognition ultimately led me to seek a different path. un-dco.org/stories/three-…

@Awalekullane Thank you 🙏 so much

Congrats dear @sidchat1 on your new appointment. During my time as Ambassador of Somalia to China, I truly valued our engagement while you served as UN Resident Coordinator. You always kept Africa close to your heart, attentive to the continent’s priorities and driven to advance development conversations that genuinely impact lives. You are a true diplomatic giant, yet humble, clear and calm with everyone you meet, always ready to solve challenges together. It has been a pleasure knowing you both as a diplomat and as a friend. Wishing you continued success in this next chapter.

As I transition from three decades of service within the United Nations 🇺🇳 today, I find myself reflecting on the thread that connects my journey from the Army to the UN 🇺🇳 in China: 🇨🇳 the urgent need to protect human dignity. It was a privilege to be honored as an "Impact Legend" at the 2025 Asia X Change Summit in Jakarta 🇮🇩 by the Rockefeller Foundation. The Foundation has been a beacon of collaborative progress for over a century, and it has been an honor to partner with them since my time in Kenya 🇰🇪. In these fractured times, the Foundation’s call for "unity of purpose" is more critical than ever. We cannot solve global 🌎 challenges in isolation; we must act as one. My sincere thanks 🙏 to two inspiring, compassionate and brilliant leaders Ms Elizabeth Yee @eyee5 & @deepalikhanna @RockefellerFdn for their friendship and support to me throughout the years from Kenya 🇰🇪 to China 🇨🇳. #AsiaImpactSummit #RockefellerFoundation #ImpactLegend #GlobalGoals #Humanity #Multilateralism #Jakarta youtu.be/cdZJxkt_Rgk?si…

My last day of work with the United Nations 🇺🇳 is March 01, 2026. Out of all my experience, I want to share just one story. It concerns my work in South Sudan 🇸🇸 25 years ago, and it gets at both the essence of my career and the mission of the United Nations. But to tell you that story, I have to go further back in time to my service in the Indian Army. The UN's 80th anniversary and beyond, every conflict offers us another chance to put children’s lives above political calculations. The children cannot wait. And they should not have to. linkedin.com/posts/siddhart…

Today we say goodbye to UN Resident Coordinator @sidchat1, after his 5 remarkable years in China and over 30 years in the UN🇺🇳. Thank you for your extraordinary service and dedication. The UN family in China🇺🇳🇨🇳 is proud to have had you at the helm. Wishing you the very best.

Deep breathing regularly is a simple yet powerful way to reduce stress, improve focus, and support overall #health. Thank you to @sidchat1, RC @UNinChina, for sharing practical insights with our RCO team on how mindful breathing exercises can strengthen well-being and resilience in our daily work. #SDG3

I sat down today for a deeply insightful conversation with the brilliant Professor Peng Kaiping of Tsinghua University—the father of positive psychology in China 🇨🇳 and one of the world's foremost thinkers in positive, social, and cultural psychology 🧠—for the UN in China Podcast. 🇺🇳🇨🇳 A former tenured faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley's Department of Psychology 🇺🇸—one of the world's leading institutions—Professor Peng brought Berkeley's rigor and Tsinghua's vision together when he was appointed as the founding chair of Tsinghua's Psychology Department in 2008 under the Berkeley-Tsinghua collaborative project. We explored the powerful intersections of positive psychology, mental health, physical health, and the urgent call of SDG 3 🇺🇳 and Healthy China 🇨🇳 2030—recognizing that wellbeing is not merely a personal pursuit but a driver of social and economic progress. Professor Peng shared a framework that left me reflecting deeply: ✅ Happiness-oriented ✅ Action-oriented ✅ Future-oriented Three deceptively simple principles. A lifetime of wisdom behind them. I also shared a personal journey with him—one that sits at the heart of my upcoming book, to be published in June 2026. It explores how the ancient health traditions of China 🇨🇳 and India 🇮🇳 transformed my own health & wellbeing, and what they might offer a world searching for better ways to live. We exchanged ideas on how Eastern wisdom and modern Western medicine, when brought together, may hold the key to advancing human development and prosperity. After all, health is wealth. Full episode coming soon. If you care about physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing—individually or collectively—this one is not to be missed. #UNinChina #SDG3 #PositivePsychology #MentalHealth #Tsinghua #HealthyChina2030

The Lunar New Year 🧧 is far more than a calendar milestone; it is a vital act of collective renewal that strengthens the fabric of society. In a world that often pulls us toward the individual, this holiday is a powerful gravitational force toward the communal. It reaffirms our interdependence through the ritual of reunion, fosters resilience by honoring shared ancestry, and cultivates social trust through the exchange of goodwill. By momentarily pausing the relentless pace of modern life to prioritize family, reciprocity, and tradition, the Lunar New Year weaves a stronger, more cohesive social tapestry that supports us all year long.