Douglas Ragan has worked in youth development with NGOs, local and national governments and the United Nations at the local, national and international level for the past 25 years. Currently he is the Unit Leader for Youth and Livelihoods for UN-Habitat, managing UN-Habitat’s Global portfolio on youth development in over 70 developing countries. The programmes focus on urban youth development, including youth employment, governance and participation.

He manages three flagship youth programmes for UN-Habitat: the Urban Youth Fund, the Youth 21 initiative and the One Stop Youth Resource Centres. Doug has authored, co-authored and edited research and policy publications on urban youth issues faced by marginalized young people globally, the most recent being the Global Youth-Led Development series, representing some of the first research done on youth-led agencies in the developing world.

Doug holds a Bachelors Degree in Latin American Studies, a Masters Degree in Management and is currently working to complete his PhD in Architecture and Design with a focus on youth-led organizations in slums. In his previous role as director for the Environmental Youth Alliance from 1991 – 2007, Doug worked with marginalized communities globally such as aboriginal, immigrant and refugee and street youth to develop livelihood programs.