Upon earning a Bachelor of Linguistics, and a Master of Science in humanities and social sciences from the University of Zagreb, Croatia, Ms. Irena Zubcevic began a lifelong career in international relations. Early on in her career, she worked as an advisor for the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Croatia. The multi-lingual and dedicated professional then transferred to the Croatian Foreign Service where she raised to the rank of minister plenipotentiary.

Ms. Zubcevic’s journey has culminated in her current position with the United Nations where she serves as Chief of Intergovernmental Policy and Review Branch dealing with sustainable development. She previously worked as Chief of the Ocean and Climate Branch, Division for Sustainable Development, and she started as a senior sustainable development officer. Working in the United Nations in the area of sustainable development has been one of the highlights of her career. In June 2012, a number of countries began discussing how they could form a framework that would allow for everyone to be prosperous enough to grow economically while maintaining social responsibility and fostering gender empowerment and the protection of children and youth. Ms. Zubcevic is proud to have been a part of such a transformative project that will affect the global population as it culminated in the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by all Member States of the United Nations.

In order to stay abreast of changes in the field, Ms. Zubcevic affiliates herself with the National Association of Professional Women, the International Society of Sustainability Professionals, International Association of Top Professionals and the International Leadership Association,. For her excellence in the field, she has been recognized with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) and Top Chief of the Year in Sustainable Development by the International Association of Top Professionals (2019).