United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

UNODC: Southasia

Mr. Marco Teixeira 

Regional Representative 

UNODC Regional Office for South Asia

Mr. Marco Teixeira is a Portuguese national, who joined the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2011 and is currently the Regional Representative, Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA), UNODC since October 2022.

Mr. Teixeira has several years of relevant substantive and managerial experience in international positions of increasing responsibility for the United Nations on transnational organized crime, illicit trafficking, corruption, and counter terrorism issues.

Within UNODC, Mr. Teixeira has led programme development and implementation, partnership building and resource mobilization efforts in various positions, including recently as i) Programme Coordinator (Head of Office in Mozambique and Malawi) in Maputo (from June 2021 to September 2022); ii) Senior Programme Officer with the Division for Treaty Affairs in Vienna leading the Global Programme for the implementation of the Doha Declaration (Jan.2019-May 2021); iii) Programme Officer (Law Enforcement Expert) (2016-2019) in that same division; iv) Head, Organized Crime, Illicit Trafficking and Terrorism section in Regional Office for West and Central Africa, Dakar (2014-2016); v) Programme Coordinator in Liberia and Sierra Leonne (2013-2014); and vi) Law Enforcement Adviser in the Programme Office in Guinea-Bissau (2011-2012).

Before joining UNODC, Mr. Teixeira worked as a Police Operations & International Cooperation Adviser with the UN Special Political Mission UNIOGBIS (2010-2011). He also held various positions with the Portuguese Public Security Police, including: Head of administrative support to the Director of the Human Resources Department (2011); Media and Communications Coordinator during the Under 21 Championship - UEFA – Oporto (2006); Deputy Commander of Criminal Investigation Division; Trainer – Police, Incidents Negotiator – Negotiation Cell of Oporto Metropolitan Command (2004-2010); Commanding Officer of the 6th Criminal Investigations Police Station (2002-2004); and Commanding Officer of the Póvoa do Varzim Police Station (2000-2002).

Mr. Teixeira holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from the Porto University in Portugal and a Bachelor’s degree in Police Science, besides other post graduate courses. He was also awarded the UN Secretary-General Award in the category of ‘Innovation’ 2020; the 'Juvenile Justice Without Borders' International Award 2020. Ultimately, Mr. Teixeira was numerous times officially commended by a number of National and International Institutions and also was awarded the United Nations Special Service Medal (UNSSM).