Robert (Bob) Bernardo is the Regional Team Leader of the Governance and Peacebuilding Team, at the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub, Türkiye covering 19 programme countries and territories in Europe and Central Asia.  Bob leads the team in providing policy and programmatic advisory support, facilitating learning, knowledge and forward-looking solutions, implementing regional projects, and establishing partnerships to advance governance models and innovations, advance digital transformation and innovative public sector, strengthen youth and civic engagement, protect human rights and support rule of law, and anticipate and prevent conflicts, and sustain peace, among others.

Bob has supported digital transformation in many countries, including on e-governance and innovations in public service delivery at national and local levels, digital assessments and policy design and formulation, digital inclusion, institutional modernization and digital integration, and advancing new approaches and frameworks to accelerate digital transformation.  As UNDP Regional Digital Facilitator for Europe and Central Asia, Bob works closely with UNDP Country Offices and partners in the design and roll out of the UNDP Digital Strategy in the region.  With over three decades of professional experience, Bob has worked in over 30 countries in the Asia Pacific, Arab States, and Europe and Central Asia.