Yobert K. Shamapande
Encyclopedia
Yobert K. Shamapande Ph.D., is a prominent Zambian international development economist, politician and author who was born to peasant parents and raised in the rural Chibombo district of central Zambia. He received his early education in the rural areas as well as in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital city.
In 2001, Shamapande ran for president of Zambia
on the ticket of the National Leadership for Development party of which he was one of the founding members. Thereafter, he co-founded and served as chairman & CEO of Global Development Partners, an international development consulting firm based in Washington D.C with offices in New York and South Africa.
He was first recruited into the United Nations in 1980 by the former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari
who was then serving as the UN Commissioner for Namibia. Shamapande worked for a decade until 1990 as Senior Economist, Executive Assistant, and chief economic advisor to Ahtisaari and subsequent UN Commissioners for Namibia focusing on management and policy as well as strategic planning for the decolonization of Namibia from apartheid South Africa. He was instrumental in organizing planning workshops and conferences on Namibia as well as in designing and drawing up of Namibia’s blue print for its post-independence reconstruction and development. -1980s at the height of military conflicts in Southern Africa, Shamapande undertook several trouble-shooting efforts including leading UN missions of economic assistance to the “Frontline States” - - neighboring countries impacted by the apartheid South African destabilization activities.
From 1996 until 1999 he was appointed by then UN Secretary General Boutos Boutros-Ghali
as Director - - Chief of mission - - to establish a new United Nations Information Center in South Africa. He was charged with the responsibility of supporting South Africa’s post-apartheid transformation and serving as “the United Nations voice” in promoting that country’s reintegration into the international community.
Following his return to the UN Headquarters in 1999, he served until December 2000, as Chief of the UN Development Business, a UN-corporate sector partnership program with offices in New York and at the World Bank in Washington D.C.. His responsibilities included promoting international investment activities financed by the leading multilateral institutions including the World Bank, Latin American Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Caribbean Development Bank, African Development Bank, UNDP and others.
Why Bother About the Poor? The Politics of Poverty, Peace and Development in Southern Africa’.
In 2001, Shamapande ran for president of Zambia
Zambian general election, 2001
General elections were held in Zambia on 27 December 2001 to elect a President and National Assembly. The result was a victory for the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy, which won 69 of the 150 National Assembly seats and whose candidate, Levy Mwanawasa, won the presidential vote.The...
on the ticket of the National Leadership for Development party of which he was one of the founding members. Thereafter, he co-founded and served as chairman & CEO of Global Development Partners, an international development consulting firm based in Washington D.C with offices in New York and South Africa.
United Nations
Prior to entering politics, Yobert Shamapande had more than three decades of professional leadership in the economic development field. He served for twenty-one years in various senior capacities with the United Nations stationed at the UN headquarters in New York as well as in South AfricaHe was first recruited into the United Nations in 1980 by the former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland , Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work....
who was then serving as the UN Commissioner for Namibia. Shamapande worked for a decade until 1990 as Senior Economist, Executive Assistant, and chief economic advisor to Ahtisaari and subsequent UN Commissioners for Namibia focusing on management and policy as well as strategic planning for the decolonization of Namibia from apartheid South Africa. He was instrumental in organizing planning workshops and conferences on Namibia as well as in designing and drawing up of Namibia’s blue print for its post-independence reconstruction and development. -1980s at the height of military conflicts in Southern Africa, Shamapande undertook several trouble-shooting efforts including leading UN missions of economic assistance to the “Frontline States” - - neighboring countries impacted by the apartheid South African destabilization activities.
From 1996 until 1999 he was appointed by then UN Secretary General Boutos Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1992 to December 1996...
as Director - - Chief of mission - - to establish a new United Nations Information Center in South Africa. He was charged with the responsibility of supporting South Africa’s post-apartheid transformation and serving as “the United Nations voice” in promoting that country’s reintegration into the international community.
Following his return to the UN Headquarters in 1999, he served until December 2000, as Chief of the UN Development Business, a UN-corporate sector partnership program with offices in New York and at the World Bank in Washington D.C.. His responsibilities included promoting international investment activities financed by the leading multilateral institutions including the World Bank, Latin American Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Caribbean Development Bank, African Development Bank, UNDP and others.
Research
In the field of research, Shamapande has written and published extensively. From 1990 until 1996, he served as Chief Editor and supervised a complex research-publication program of the Yearbook of the United Nations, the most authoritative, flagship reference book about the international work of the United Nations and its various agencies. In that capacity, he edited and published seven volumes of the Yearbook including the Secretary-General’s .1995 special edition to commemorate the UN fiftieth anniversary.Teaching
Academically, he has given several public lectures relating to current development issues and taught at various institutions in the United States and South Africa, including as Adjunct Professor of International Affairs at Columbia University, where he taught a course on: “Political economy of poverty and development in Southern Africa;” as well as Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo; seminar/workshop at the New School University , New York,.and others. Most recently he has self-published a book through AuthorHouseAuthorHouse
AuthorHouse, formerly known as 1stBooks, is a self-publishing company based in the United States. AuthorHouse uses print on demand business model and technology.-History:...
Why Bother About the Poor? The Politics of Poverty, Peace and Development in Southern Africa’.
Early career
Yobert Shamapande was the first Zambian Town Planning Officer for the City of Lusaka with the overall responsibility of coordinating the City’s master planning, growth, development management and control.Education
Mr. Shamapande is a graduate with a B.S degree in urban and regional planning from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; and Masters and Ph.D. in development economics from Columbia University, New York.External links
- 2001 Zambian Presidential Elections
- Political economy of poverty and development in Southern Africa (Columbia University Course)