Our Team in Kyrgyz Republic

Mr. Brian Williams of the United States has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan, with the approval of the host Government. He takes up his post on 1 October.

Mr. Williams brings more than 30 years of experience in international development, peacebuilding, public health, humanitarian action and development coordination. Most recently, he served as Chief of the Peacebuilding Fund within the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), where he managed the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund.

He assumed this role following his assignment as Chief of Policy and Programming ad interim in the United Nations Development Coordination Office (DCO). From 2015 to 2020, Mr. Williams served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Albania. Prior to that, from 2010 to 2015, he led the Peacebuilding Fund, overseeing the financing of initiatives aimed at supporting peacebuilding and conflict prevention in countries emerging from conflict.

From 2001 to 2008, Mr. Williams worked on the global HIV response, serving as Country Coordinator of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Myanmar and in various positions at UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva. Since 1990, he has worked on humanitarian assistance, governance, the rule of law, recovery and peacebuilding in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Rwanda.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr. Williams worked with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), CARE International and the International Rescue Committee.

Mr. Williams holds a master’s degree in development studies from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Harvard University, both in the United States.

He is married and has two children.

Mr. Baktybek Kainazarov was appointed as the Head of Office of UNFPA in Kyrgyzstan in 2022. Prior to this role, he served as a National Programme Analyst on Youth, Population, and Development, supporting national stakeholders in evidence-based policy formulation, strengthening data collection and dissemination, and promoting demographic resilience and population policy. His work also focused on active aging, youth mainstreaming—including youth and sexual and reproductive health (SRH)—and youth engagement in peacebuilding.

Baktybek brings extensive experience from his career with UNFPA in Kyrgyzstan and the Sub-Regional Office in Kazakhstan, as well as with the National Democratic Institute in Kyrgyzstan, RepresentWomen in the United States, the International Organization for Migration in Poland, UNV-UNDP Kyrgyzstan, and Counterpart International Kyrgyzstan. His portfolio has covered gender equality, youth empowerment, migration, and population studies. He holds a double MA degree in European Studies from Jagiellonian University (Poland) and Palacký University (Czech Republic), a second double MA in Society and Politics from the Polish Academy of Sciences and Lancaster University (UK), and a PhD in Social Sciences from the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Ms. Solovieva has been appointed as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic in August 2023. She brings over 25 years of experience working with the UN across countries of Asia and the Pacific, Europe, other regions, and at Headquarters.
Prior to joining UNDP Kyrgyzstan, Ms. Solovieva served as UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Belarus from 2019 to August 2023, leading the UNDP development mandate and providing integrated support for SDG achievement in the country. Ms. Solovieva supported digital transformation, green economic transition, inclusive employment generation, climate and environment resource management, gender equality, and health system strengthening, bringing international knowledge and expertise.
During 2018-2019 Ms. Solovieva was the Chief of the External Relations and Communications Section at the United Nations Volunteers in Bonn, where she advised key stakeholders on UNV global agenda on volunteerism for SDGs and led strategic partnerships with Member States, inter-governmental, nongovernmental, and financial institutions, civil society, academia, media, and the private sector. Since 2014 Ms. Solovieva managed five global programmes on volunteer infrastructure, peace, youth, basic social services, and community resilience at the United Nations Volunteers. She led its Regional Offices in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
From 2011 to 2014 Ms. Solovieva served as the Deputy Country Director (Programme) at UNDP in the Republic of India. She delivered development support services, and measures to strengthen national capacities, provided policy advice, and coordinated the preparation of key UN and UNDP frameworks and programmes contributing to national development priorities including governance, human development, social protection, livelihoods, disaster risk reduction, HIV, inclusion, and others.
From 2003 to 2011 Ms. Solovieva held several positions at UNDP Headquarters including Programme Specialist in the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, and Management Specialist in the Bureau of Management. Ms. Solovieva started her career in Laos as UNDP Small-Grant Programme Coordinator, Head of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in that country, and served as a United Nations Volunteer on the ground.
Ms. Solovieva holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Colorado in Denver, a Master of Oriental Studies, and a Bachelor of Oriental and African Studies degree from Moscow State University, Institute of Asian and African Studies. She speaks Russian, English, French, Thai, and Lao languages.

Dr Amir Piric works for UNESCO since 2004, initially as Head of Evaluation Office, within the Internal Oversight Service (IOS) of UNESCO and lately as Chief Programme Coordinator at UNESCO Institute for Lifelong-learning in Hamburg, Germany. He has been appointed as the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty, effective June 2024.

Before joining UNESCO, Dr Amir Piric worked for various institutions such as the Nordic Institute for Studies on Innovation based in Oslo in 2004, and the Government of New Zealand from 1996 to 2004. He holds a PhD in Public Administration as well as s Masters in European Society, Science and Technology from Roskilde University (Denmark).

Dr Piric holds dual citizenship (New Zealand and Serbia).

UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty
303, Baizakov Street
A15E3A7
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Tel.: +7(7272)582643
E-mail: almaty@unesco.org

Dr. Ganbold Baasanjav serves as the Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) North and Central Asia Office, in addition to his functions as the Head of the ESCAP Subregional Office for East and North-East Asia, based in Incheon, Republic of Korea. Prior to ESCAP, Dr. Ganbold has worked extensively for the government of Mongolia serving within the country in the Foreign Ministry as well as abroad in a diplomatic capacity. He was most recently the Ambassador-at-large for Sustainable Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia (2018-2019). Prior to this, he has served as the Mongolian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2013-2018), Director-General of the Asia and the Pacific Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia (2008-2013), and the Mongolian Ambassador to Vietnam (2004-2008). Dr. Ganbold has also served as the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia (2001-2003) and as the Director-General of the Public Affairs Department at the Ministry of External Relations of Mongolia (1998-2000). His earlier career includes overseas diplomatic assignments with the Mongolian Embassy in Pyongyang, DPR of Korea (1989-1993). Dr. Ganbold was also a part-time lecturer and Dean for the Department of International Relations, School of Foreign Service, at the National University of Mongolia (1997-2001). Dr. Ganbold is fluent in English, Korean and Russian, and earned his BA in International Relations from Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Russia an MA in Political Science from University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA and a PhD in Law from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Republic of Korea. He is married with four children.

Prior to his current assignment, Liviu led a WHO unit in WHE at HQ (2020-2023) that orchestrated simulation exercises and emergency response reviews. Prior to that Liviu served WHO in Myanmar (2013-2014), Sierra Leone (2014-215), and Thailand (2014-2020).

From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2020 Dr. Vedrasco served as COVID-19 Coordination Liaison for Asia Pacific in Bangkok. At the peak of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone (11/2014 – 3/2015) Dr. Vedrasco coordinated the WHO emergency response operation that helped end the Ebola epidemic.

Prior to WHO, Liviu held leadership roles with UN agencies, philanthropies, and NGOs including Chief of Party for the USAID PREPARE pandemic preparedness project in D.C. (2009-2011); UN Pandemic Readiness Adviser with UNOCHA, Dakar (2007-2009); Health Adviser with the International Rescue Committee, Thailand (2004-2007); Country Director with the International Medical Corps, Georgia (2002-2004); Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe with Carelift International, PA, USA (1999-2001) and Programs Director with the Open Society Foundations, Moldova (1994-1997).

Dr. Vedrasco was awarded a Master of Public Health by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (1999) and a Medical Doctor degree by the Moldova State University of Medicine and Pharmacy (1996). He is fluent in English, Russian, and French in addition to his native Romanian.

Dr Syed Sadiq brings over 20 years’ senior level experience serving with the United Nations on global policy issues and programme management on gender equality, human rights, population and development. He has been working with the UN Women since its inception and since held the positions of Deputy Regional Program Director in the Southern Africa Regional Office, Country Representative in Iraq, Deputy Country Director for Afghanistan, Regional Program Manager, Ending Violence against Women and Girls of the UN Women East & Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) and has led the EU-funded Spotlight Initiative Stream 1 in the region and most recently, Country Program Manager for UN Women in Somalia. In his earlier career, Mr. Syed held various assignments with the United Nations (OHCHR and UNFPA) in Ethiopia, Eritrea, East Timor, India, Liberia and Sudan. He served at the National Commission for Women, Government of India and also as a faculty at the Indian Law Institute-India, visiting fellow at the Clark University and also contributed to the fellow’s paper of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government-USA.

Mr. Syed is the exponent of the ‘Coordinated Responses Approach (CRA) in Addressing GBV’ in 1997 and received awards at the international and national level for contribution to women’s rights. He has authored and co-authored several publications on human rights and gender. He holds LL.M. in International Human Rights Law and PhD in Women’s Rights Law. He is a national of India.

As the Director of the UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Office, Freya von Groote leads the UNOPS presence in Vienna, as well as the UNOPS portfolio across Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Turkiye, Albania and Kosovo (1244). Previously, she served as the Director of the UNOPS Partnership and Liaison Group a.i. Freya brings over 25 years of leadership and operational management experience from the UN, inter-governmental and non-governmental sectors, having served in diverse locations, including Europe, the Middle East and West Africa, managing complex development, humanitarian and partnership portfolios. A native of Germany, Ms. von Groote holds a Master of Science in Economics in International Politics from the University of Aberystwyth, Wales and a BA (Hons) in Russian and History from Trinity College, Dublin.

Mr. Andrey Seleznev started his duty as the Head of the UNODC Programme Office in the Kyrgyz Republic in 2018.
He brings more than 25 years of experience in leadership and management, fight against crime, illicit drugs, and terrorism, and holds a profound knowledge of Kyrgyzstan and the Central Asian region.
Prior to his appointment to the UNODC, Mr. Andrey Seleznev served as the head of the department in the Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation (Financial intelligence). In 2012 was appointed as a Deputy Executive Secretary of the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG). In this position, Mr. Seleznev strengthened national anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism (AML / CFT) regimes in Central Asia countries. He devoted over ten years to fighting corruption through AML/CFT activities.
Mr. Seleznev has led several review programs to assess Central Asian states' compliance with the international AML/CFT standards, including mutual evaluations of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, coordinated the work of the EAG on combating crime and terrorism with the UN CTC, UNODC, OSCE, CSTO, RATS SCO, and ATC CIS.
Earlier, Mr. Seleznev worked in the region with crisis/emergency response throughout his career. From 1999 to 2001, he took part in the peace support operation on the territory of Kosovo * based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
Mr. Seleznev held a Master's Degree in Social and Behavioural Science from the Russian State Social University, where he studied human resource management. He also received additional education in project management at the Moscow State Technical University, named after N. Bauman.

Mr. Ennio Boati has served with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) since 2002 in a range of human rights, humanitarian and external relations roles at headquarters and in assignments with field operations across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. From March 2026, he serves as Deputy Regional Representative and Officer-in-Charge of OHCHR’s Regional Office for Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Prior to this assignment, Mr. Boati provided senior strategic, programme and resource mobilization support for the wider Asia-Pacific region from OHCHR’s Regional Office for South-East Asia in Bangkok and earlier served briefly as Deputy Regional Representative a.i. for Central Asia. Earlier in his career, he worked in Geneva with United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms, humanitarian funds and donor relations, and undertook multiple rapid response deployments supporting human rights monitoring, commissions of inquiry and the establishment of field presences in complex operational contexts.

A native of Italy, Mr. Boati began his UN career with UNHCR in Kosovo and North Macedonia, working on humanitarian operations in the Balkans. He later joined the United Nations Secretariat after successfully passing the National Competitive Examination in Political Affairs. He holds postgraduate degrees in humanitarian assistance and human rights and in advanced European political and administrative studies, as well as university degrees in international and diplomatic relations and in economics and management.

Mr. Kojiro Nakai, a national of Japan, has over 20-year experience of working in WFP. Before coming to the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Nakai worked as Deputy Emergency Coordinator for the Cox’s Bazar operation, WFP Bangladesh. Mr. Nakai also served in several management positions in WFP, including Head of Office in Pakistan, Sudan and Myanmar, as well as Donor Relations Officer at Headquarters in Rome, Regional Bureau in Johannesburg and Liaison Office in Tokyo. Before joining WFP in 2001, Mr. Nakai worked in the Japanese private sector, as well as the Japanese embassy in China. Mr. Nakai has a Master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from University of Pittsburgh, USA. He is married with two daughters.

Mr. Mahir Safarli assumed his functions as UNHCR Representative for Central Asia on 1 January 2026. He oversees UNHCR’s activities across Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
He brings over 23 years of humanitarian experience with UNHCR, including senior leadership roles in complex displacement and emergency settings. Prior to his current appointment, he served as Deputy Representative in Greece (June 2023–2025) and Deputy Representative in Ukraine (2021–May 2023), and previously held senior operational and field coordination roles in Syria and Türkiye. Earlier in his career, he held a range of field, protection and management roles across UNHCR operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia and Azerbaijan.
At UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva, he worked in the Inspector General’s Office (IGO) (2016–2019), supporting inspection and strategic oversight functions. Mr. Safarli holds master’s degrees in Law (LL.M.) and Public Administration, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

Mr. Mirlan Mamyrov represents UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan since September 2015 and works in the area of peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and political analysis with focus on dialogue, mediation and human rights. Prior to this appointment Mr. Mamyrov served as the Project Manager of the Peacebuilding Fund Secretariat in the Kyrgyz Republic. He gained professional work experience in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic (1999-2001), OSCE mission to Croatia (2001-2003) and UN system (2003-2017).

Mr. Oleg Guchgeldiyev, a professional with broad experience in climate change, environmental strategic planning and biodiversity conservation, joined FAO in 2016 as regional coordinator for development of a large-scale project for Central Asian countries and Türkiye on sustainable land management. Since 2018, he has been serving as FAO Representative in Tajikistan.

Before joining FAO, Mr. Oleg Guchgeldiyev, a national of Turkmenistan, worked with various international financial institutions and development agencies, including the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and the European Union’s Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States programme.

He has wide experience in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region, and his technical experience includes the economic valuation of ecosystem services, capacity building, strategic and rural development. He holds a master’s degree in public economic management. FAO Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic

Mr. Samman Jung Thapa joined as UNICEF Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic since April 2024
Prior to this assignment Mr. Samman J. Thapa worked as UNICEF Regional Adviser for Social Policy and Social Protection in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region based in Amman, Jordan since July 2019. In this role, he was responsible for strategic and technical leadership of UNICEF’s regional agenda on Child Poverty, Social Protection and Public Finance covering 20 countries spanning both humanitarian response and national systems strengthening.
Mr. Thapa joined UNICEF as a Social and Economic Policy Analyst in 2008 to help shape UNICEF’s response to the effects of the Global Economic Crisis on families and children in the East Asia Pacific Region. Subsequently, he worked in Cambodia and Viet Nam to help strengthen social sector planning and budgeting capacities at both national and sub-national levels. From 2015 to 2019, he was Chief of Social Policy and Child Rights Monitoring at UNICEF Myanmar leading technical assistance and capacity building to implement the first ever government-led social cash transfers, improve national/sub-national systems on data, birth registration, disability certification, and strengthen social sector budgeting (health, education, social protection). Prior to joining UNICEF, he worked for brief stints with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and UNDP. Mr. Samman J. Thapa is a national of Nepal and the proud father of two children. He holds a MA in International Economics and International Development from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University, and a BA in International Relations from Webster University.

Mr. Tarek Abdelmonem is an international development professional with nearly 14 years of experience in sustainable development and climate resilience. He has worked across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia.

At the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mr. Abdelmonem served as an Environment and Climate Technical Specialist in the Office of Development Effectiveness in Rome. In this role, he mobilized international climate finance, coordinated the implementation of IFAD’s corporate climate commitments, and contributed to strengthening project monitoring systems.

Previously, as IFAD’s Environment and Climate Officer for the Near East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia region, based in Cairo, Mr. Abdelmonem supported the integration of climate change and natural resource management considerations into project design, supervision and evaluation. He also mobilized co-financing for IFAD projects from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund, working with governments and development partners to strengthen food security and promote rural development.

Prior to joining IFAD, Mr. Abdelmonem worked with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), where he focused on urban resilience and led initiatives in the Arab region. In particular, he contributed to the development of a project addressing climate change-related water challenges in cities hosting displaced populations.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Abdelmonem gained substantial experience in research and policy support at the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE).

Mr. Abdelmonem holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Environment and Development from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.

He speaks Arabic, English and Italian.

Ms. Aidai Kurmanova started her assignment as the Head of Central Asia Office in Almaty on 2nd February 2019. She has 21 years of experience in the field of sustainable development. Prior to joining UNEP, she worked as the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of the Kyrgyz Republic for five years. Her main areas of expertise include design and implementation of policies on sustainable economic development. She developed strategic documents on green economy, e-governance, small and medium enterprise. She led the process of nationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals in the Kyrgyz Republic. She has significant practical work experience with the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic in improving the environment for business and has promoted draft laws on economic growth. She holds Master degrees on Development Economics from International University of Japan and Public Governance from the Academy of Management under the President of Kyrgyz Republic.

Mrs. Moldobaeva started her career at IOM in 2001 and has advanced in her career at IOM. Since 2002 she has been acting as an Officer-in-Charge at IOM Office in Kyrgyzstan and since 2010, she has in parallel assumed a position of the Regional Coordinator on Counter-Trafficking program in Central Asia.

Ms. Chinwe Ogbonna, has been appointed Country Representative, Kazakhstan and Country Director for Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.

Ms.Ogbonna brings more than 20 years of global, regional, and national level experience in adaptive leadership, intergovernmental relations and strategic partnerships for scaled results. Through evidence-based strategies guided by implementation science and futures thinking, she provides effective management for responsive organizational actions for present and future generations. She champions the urgency to achieve pace and scale of tailored multi-sectoral investments to ensure Rights and Choices for women, adolescent girls and young people.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Ogbonna served as the Deputy Regional Director , UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), Office in Charge Eritrea Country Office, Head of the Middle Income Country (MIC) Technical Hub in the UNFPA ESARO. Ms. Ogbonna has also served in various positions within UNFPA, including as the Deputy Representative in the UNFPA Zambia Country Office, as well as, Assistant Representative, Health Systems Strengthening and Programme Specialist, Health Economics in the Nigeria Country Office. Before joining UNFPA, Ms. Ogbonna worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Ethiopia, deployed by the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), as well as Family Health International (FHI), USAID and the Government of Nigeria.

A national of Nigeria, Ms. Ogbonna holds a degree in Pharmacy and Masters in Health Systems Management from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the University of London with a bias in health economics and health financing. She holds additional qualifications in economics of health care from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and the World Bank Institute, Washington on sustainable financing in emerging markets and developing economies. Ms. Ogbonna is also a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow 2013 (Social Innovation Global Leadership Program). She actively engages within the community of practice of African Health Economists and Policy experts to advance strategic partnerships for transformative actions that ensure Return on Investments.

Ms. Indira Kadyrkanova holds MS in Economics (Texas A&M University, USA), MBA (Academy of Management under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic), Diploma of Graduate Course in Law (the Kyrgyz State National Juridical Academy), Diploma of Graduate Course in Mathematics (Kyrgyz State University). Worked in projects of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, USAID, SECO, EU, UN agencies. Has more than twenty years project management experience in development programmes in various sectors of the Kyrgyz economy, i.e. financial, agricultural, trade, gender equality.

Ms. Natalia Mochu is the Regional Director of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). She represents ITU in the CIS region, overseeing actions, projects, and initiatives for 9 countries. Her portfolio focuses on developing infrastructure, promoting innovation, cybersecurity, smart cities, digital inclusion, and accessibility.

Ms. Mochu holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics and informatics, as well as a master's degree in information technology from the State University of Moldova.

Prior to joining the ITU in February 2020, Natalia served as Senior Manager for Global Stakeholder Engagement for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). From 2012 to 2018, she held the position of Deputy Head of Laboratory at the Radio Research and Development Institute (NIIR) in Moscow. Between 2006 and 2012, Natalia worked for the Executive Committee of the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC), notably as the RCC Executive Committee Deputy Director General from 2008 to 2012. She started her professional career with the Ministry of Information Development of the Republic of Moldova in 2002.

Natalia has actively participated in ITU high-level conferences and meetings, including ITU Plenipotentiary Conferences, Councils, and Sectoral Conferences. She has also made significant contributions to the activities of RCC working bodies, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations and others.

Ms. Solomiya Omelyan joined UNIDO in 2007. In her current capacity as Chief of the Regional Bureau for Europe and Central Asia, Ms. Omelyan is responsible for determining regional strategies and programmatic priorities for UNIDO’s services in 27 countries of the region while ensuring that the Organization responds to the specific industrial development needs and requirements of its Member States.

Prior to joining UNIDO, Ms. Omelyan worked as a Policy Consultant at the United Nations Environment Programme’s Vienna Interim Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention (2005-2007) where she implemented regional projects in the area of sustainable development of the mountainous regions. She also worked in the Embassy of Ukraine in Austria, the Committee on Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship at the Parliament of Ukraine in Kyiv and different academic and research institutions.

Ms. Omelyan obtained her master’s degree with honours in international economics and international relations from the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and her M.A. (Magister Artium) from the Ukrainian Free University in Munich, Germany. She is the President of the Ukrainian Club at the Vienna International Centre.

Ms. Uulkan Aidarova has served as Head of the UNHCR National Office in the Kyrgyz Republic since February 2026, having previously served as Officer-in-Charge from July 2025 to January 2026.

Ms. Aidarova has extensive experience in legal affairs, human rights and refugee protection. She previously held legal positions with UNHCR in Kyrgyzstan, including in Bishkek and Osh. Her professional experience also includes serving as Senior Programme Assistant in the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and as Legal Adviser at the Adilet Legal Clinic.

Ms. Aidarova holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Comparative Constitutional Law from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the American University of Central Asia, specializing in International and Comparative Politics and Public International Law.

Ms. Natalia Alonso Cano is joining UNDRR as Chief of the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia bringing over 25 years of professional experience in international development and partnerships. An agronomic engineer, she has worked 9 years overseas, mostly in India and the Dominican Republic, for the European Union and others on environmental resource management, governance, and disaster preparedness. Prior to this assignment, Ms. Alonso Cano was Senior Adviser at UNICEF EU Office where she was leading on mainstreaming child rights into EU policy and practice and on strengthening partnerships to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people. Her previous leadership roles in Brussels included serving as Deputy Director at Oxfam International, where she played a pivotal role in advocating for ambitious EU responses to climate change and inequality while steering complex development, humanitarian, and partnership portfolios. Previous assignments in management, advocacy and strategic communications were at Plan International and Amnesty International. Her technical expertise was sharpened during her experience in the corporate engineering sector. A Spanish national, Ms. Alonso holds an engineering degree from the University
of Madrid.