Marjolaine Côté is the External Relations Advisor at the United Nations Capital Development Fund. A Canadian national, Marjolaine has extensive experience in partnerships, policy and program coordination. Marjolaine holds a Master’s degree from Dalhousie University and is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.

Marjolaine joined UNCDF in 2024 and leads the External Relations team, overseeing donor engagement, partnerships, and resource mobilization efforts. She spearheads the implementation of UNCDF’s resource mobilization strategy, focusing on securing core funding and positioning the Strategic Framework as the foundation for policy and programmatic partnerships. Working closely with the Strategic Communications Advisor and the Executive Secretary she amplifies UNCDF’s by leveraging key moments for media outreach, launching impactful publications, and optimizing the UNCDF homepage to reflect our evolving priorities.

Previously, Marjolaine served as Special Assistant to the UNCDF Executive Secretary, where she enhanced coordination on strategic initiatives and strengthened the organization’s positioning. At UNDP, she managed the Thematic Trust Funds, overseeing $120 million in annual contributions, allocating $30–40 million in flexible resources each year, engaging with Member States, and ensuring robust monitoring and reporting. From 2014 to 2019, Marjolaine was a Global Policy Advisor at UNDP, supporting corporate decision-making and working closely with Regional Bureaux. Earlier in her career, she contributed to climate change risk projects at UNDP’s Environment and Energy Group and worked at Canada’s International Development Research Center in Ottawa.