Our Team in Islamic Republic of Iran

Ms. Aasavri Rai currently serves as the Protection Officer at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Iran, having joined the office in 2023. With an extensive background in migration management and protection, Ms. Rai brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles with IOM across multiple missions, including Indonesia, India, and the Regional Office for Asia and Pacific in Bangkok. Throughout her career, she has worked on a range of critical thematic areas such as counter-trafficking and migrant smuggling, gender-based violence, child protection, returns and reintegration, and labour mobility.
Prior to joining IOM, Aasavri worked as an Arthur Helton Fellow with the Brookings Institution with field experience in Bangladesh and Myanmar analysing India's asylum policies towards Rohingyas.
Aasavri is a national of India, holding a legal degree with a specialized post-graduate qualification in human rights, international humanitarian law, and refugee law. Fluent in both English and her native Hindi, she also speaks conversational Urdu.

Adnan Alshabibi is a dedicated professional with a diverse background in security and administration. Born in 1981, in Yemen, Adnan has over 12 years' work experience in the UN Security Management System and Peacekeeping operations in different countries.
Before joining the DSS team in Iran, Adnan worked as Security Specialist, heading the security team of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Libya, a position he had held since November 2022. Prior to this role, he served as the Head of Security Team for UNDP in Sudan for over four years. He had also served as a Security Associate for UNDP in Yemen after having served as part of the Peacekeeping Officers with the United Nations Mission in Darfur, Sudan (UNAMID. This is in addition to various roles within his home country security forces.
Adnan holds a Master of Business Administration from the Lebanese International University and a Bachelor’s degree in English language from Sana’a University, Yemen. He also earned a diploma in military studies. He is certified in Hostage Incident Management besides a number of professional security qualifications in Security Management and Analysis.

Alexander Fedulov has worked in the drug control field for more than 26 years, including senior managerial positions with UNODC in Kyrgyzstan, Iran and in the Federal Drug Control Services of the Russian Federation. He was FDCS Representative in the Republic of Austria with a diplomatic post as the Counsellor of the Embassy Russian Federation in Austria. He was a Chief of Unit, Department of International Cooperation FDSC of the Russian Federation and Chief of Forensic section at the police service of the Forensic Department of Moscow Main Directorate of Interior, Ministry of Interior. During his law enforcement service at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) of the Russian Federation, he served as member of the UN peace keeping contingent of the Russian MoI in Bosnia and Herzegovina in UNMIBH (UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina) in 2000-2003. Among different positions within the UN peacekeeping mission to BiH, the latest was the IPTF Chief of Logistics of the UN Field Mission at HQ of UN mission to BiH in Saraevo. He holds a PhD in Political Science.

Ms. Ayna Seyitliyeva joined UNFPA Iran in February 2024 in the capacity of International Programme Coordinator and will act as the Officer in Charge (OIC) until the arrival of the new Representative. In her last assignment, she worked for nearly five years as the Head of Office in UNFPA Turkmenistan carrying programme and management functions, working closely with the government and UNCT, as well as international development partners. She brings more than 20 years of extensive and diversified experience in leadership, programme management, and advocacy & communication. Prior to joining UNFPA, she worked for 12 years for UNICEF Turkmenistan as a Cross-Sectoral Programme Specialist leading the social development, communication, and youth programmes, and covering the Partnerships and Resource Leveraging portfolio. In her earlier UN career (2001-2006), she coordinated an advocacy and communication component with UNFPA Turkmenistan. Ms. Seyitliyeva graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK (2006-2007). She holds a Master of Science in Media and Communication with a focus on Behavioral and Social Science. She is the UK Chevening Scholarship Programme Alumna. She also holds a university degree from the Turkmen State University with a Diploma in World Economy and International Relations.

Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labé, from Sri Lanka, assumed the role of Resident Representative ad interim for UNDP in the Islamic Republic of Iran in October 2024. She is a seasoned development professional with over 25 years of leadership and management experience across various country contexts, including Low-, middle- and high-income counties.

Her expertise spans policy advisory, program management, and research, with a focus on public and private sector collaboration. Within the UN/UNDP She served as Resident Representative (and stepping in as acting UN Resident Coordinator) in Nepal; Country Director ai/Deputy Country Director in Nepal (2018- 2019), Deputy Resident Representative in Morocco (2012-2018) and Algeria (2008-2012). Prior to that, she held policy advisory, portfolio management and coordination positions in Agriculture, Climate, Food Security, Rural Development, Development effectiveness/ UN (Bangladesh) and, crisis and Tsunami Emergency Coordination, (Sri Lanka) as well as research and teaching in Vietnam and Belgium.

Ayshanie holds a Msc in Agro-Economics, Sociology and Rural Development from the Faculty of Agriculture, Gembloux/(Liege), Belgium. Completed Executive Education programmes (IMD Lausanne, Switzerland/INSEAD Paris-France). Speaks Sinhalese, English French and is a debutant in Arabic and Spanish.

Having over 23 years of diplomatic and professional UN experience, Bojidar Vassilev Dimitrov (Bulgaria) assumed duties as the Head of UNAMA Liaison Office in Tehran in April, 2025.
Mr. Dimitrov previously served as the Head of UNAMA Field Offices in Kunduz and Baghlan Provinces in Afghanistan. He was Peace and Reconciliation Desk Officer and Political Affairs Officer in Kandahar, Afghanistan and was with UN DPKO for three years as well.
Before joining the UN, Mr. Dimitrov served as Head of office with Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Tajikistan, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan and was Senior Liaison Officer and Head of Protocol Department at Bulgarian Defence Ministry. He was seconded by Bulgarian Government to Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Tajikistan.
He holds two Master's degrees in Electronic and Computer Science as well as Administration and Management. His mother tongue is Bulgarian. He is fluent in English and Russian, and has working knowledge of German, Serbian, and Tajik languages.

Mr. Farrukh Toirov, national of Tajikistan, brings over 20 years of experience in international development and agricultural programming to his role as FAO Representative to the Islamic Republic of Iran. With dual master’s degrees in economics and social sciences from Tajik State University of Commerce and Mahidol University of Thailand, he has successfully led multidisciplinary teams and managed portfolios across diverse regions including Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation (Chechnya), Somalia, Ukraine, and Pakistan.
His extensive career includes roles such as Deputy FAO Representative in Pakistan and Senior Programme Officer heading FAO provincial office in Peshawar, where he oversaw more than 40 active projects with substantial budget. Prior to FAO, Mr. Toirov worked with CARE International, UNDP, the World Bank, and the private banking sector.
This wealth of experience, combined with his fluency in English, Russian, Persian, and Tajik languages equip him with a deep understanding of the complexities of agricultural value chains, donor engagement, and effective programme implementation.
His leadership in implementing innovative initiatives—ranging from climate-smart agriculture and integrated natural resource management to enhancing market connectivity for high-value crops—has played a vital role in strengthening agricultural sectors and food systems across the regions he has served.
As he embarks on this new chapter in Iran, Mr. Toirov is committed to leverage his vast experience and diplomatic skills to enhance FAO’s engagement with national stakeholders, drive impactful communication strategies, and support Iran’s agricultural development priorities.

Ieng Srong is the UNESCO Representative to Islamic Republic of Iran since December 2023. Prior to joining this position, he exercised from 2019 to 2023 the functions of Chief of the Human Resources Strategic Support Section in the Bureau of Human Resources Management, leading the development and update of human resources strategies, policies and procedures and providing strategic and operational leadership of the Human Resources Strategy and UNESCO strategic transformation initiatives falling under the Section's purview.
Meanwhile, from May to September 2021, Ieng Srong was entrusted with a short-term assignment in UNESCO Antenna in Myanmar with the functions UNESCO Representative and Education Senior Programme Specialist.
From 2016 to 2019, Ieng Srong exercised the functions of Secretary of the 1970 Convention on the fight against the illicit trafficking of trafficking of cultural property and of the Intergovernmental Committee for the return and restitution of cultural property, while assuming the responsibilities of Chief of Movable Heritage and Museums Section in the Sector of Culture of UNESCO.
Prior 2016, Ieng Srong occupied divers functions and responsibilities in the Education and Culture Sectors and well as in UNESCO’s central services.
Ieng Srong holds a master’s degree in international law and a post graduate degree in International Administration from the Sorbonne University, Paris (France).

Letizia Rossano was appointed as the Director of the Asia and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management, APDIM, in ESCAP in March 2019. Ms Rossano is a permanent staff member of the United Nations Secretariat with over 24 years of service. Between April 2014 and February 2019 she was the Chief of Resource Mobilization in UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNDRR. In 2014 and 2012, she was assigned as the only humanitarian advisor to the Syria mediation efforts of the Joint Special Representative for Syria, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, and the Joint Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Kofi Annan. In 2013 Letizia headed the System-wide resource mobilization unit in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva. Between 2010-2011 she held the position of Senior Coordinator for the Mid-Term Review of the Hyogo Framework for Action with UNDRR, then UNISDR, in Geneva.
At the UN Headquarters in New York, in 2005-2009 she headed the IASC/ECHA Secretariat in OCHA and served from 2002 to 2005 with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) as the Special Assistant to the Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service, dealing with issues related to antipersonnel landmines and cluster munitions.
Between 1999 and 2001, Letizia served with OCHA Afghanistan, based in Islamabad, Pakistan as Emergency Coordination Officer. She started her career at the United Nations in 1994 as an Associate Expert/JPO with the then UN Drug Control Programme where, for two years, she worked in the Regional Office for South Asia, based in New Delhi, India. Letizia’s professional experience prior to joining the UN was in external relations and communications.
Letizia holds a Masters degree in Humanitarian Action and Conflict Resolution from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, (1999); received a full Language Fellowship from Mount Holyoke College, in the United States where she lectured Italian and obtained a Certificate in Leadership and Complex Organizations (1991); and holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Bari, Italy (1989). Letizia is fluent in English; Italian (her mother tongue) and French and speaks conversational Urdu/Hindi.

Marlene Nilsson is the Deputy Regional Director at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, a role she has embraced since April 2023.

With over 20 years of experience supporting United Nations leadership, Marlene has a deep commitment to advancing environmental sustainability and international cooperation. Prior to her current role, she served as Senior Programme Management Officer and Special Assistant in the Office of the UNEP Executive Director, where she played a key role in strategic programme management and policy coordination. Throughout her tenure at UNEP, spanning more than a decade, Marlene gained invaluable experience across multiple divisions, including the Executive Office, Ecosystems Division, and Policy and Programme Division.

Before joining UNEP, Marlene spent over 13 years with United Nations Peacekeeping, where she worked on crisis management, peace negotiations, and political affairs in challenging field settings, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan, as well as at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Marlene holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and is committed to leveraging her diverse experience to contribute to the achievement of global environmental goals.

EDUCATION:

• 1994-1998 Master’s degree in Statistics, Baghdad University, Baghdad, Iraq
• 1991-1995 Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Baghdad University, Baghdad, Iraq

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE:

March 2022 – December 2023: Country Director/Representative, WFP, Libya
January 2022 – March 2022: Acting as Deputy Country Director, WFP, Iraq
August 2019 – December 2021: Head of Yemen Office in Jordan, WFP, Yemen
October 2017 – July 2019: Senior Government & Interagency Relations Officer and head of Area Office, WFP, Sudan
October 2014 – September 2017: Senior Government Liaison Officer & Head of Area Office, WFP, Sudan
December 2012 – September 2014, Deputy Country Director and Senior Programme Coordinator, IOM, Sudan
April 2010 – November 2012, Darfur Coordinator, IOM, Sudan
April 2007 – March 2010, IDP Tracking and Monitoring Coordinator, IOM, Sudan
February 2005 – March 2007, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, WFP, Sudan
June 2004 – January 2005, Project Officer-Registration specialist, IOM, Sudan
March 2003 – May 2004, Data Analyst, IOM, Iraq
January 2001 – February 2003, Data Analyst Assistant, UN-HABITAT, Iraq
September 1998 – December 2000, Lecturer at Al-Rafidain University, Iraq

Since September 2024, Dr. Monika Oledzka-Nielsen has been serving as UNICEF’s Representative in Charge, following a successful tenure as Deputy Representative Programme in Tehran, Iran beginning in November 2022. In her current role, Dr. Nielsen continues to drive UNICEF’s transformative agenda by managing significant budgets, fostering partnerships, and advocating for vulnerable populations, reflecting UNICEF’s core mission of compassion and solidarity.
Prior to this, Dr. Nielsen led UNICEF's efforts in Odisha, India (2019-2022), where she managed diverse portfolios in education, child protection, and health. Her strategic leadership played a critical role in building partnerships and fostering sustainable change, positively impacting the lives of countless individuals in the region.
During her time with UNICEF in Indonesia and Papua (2014-2018), Dr. Nielsen spearheaded innovative early childhood development and literacy programmes. These initiatives not only uplifted disadvantaged communities but also served as models for national replication, demonstrating her commitment to creating scalable and sustainable impact.

With over 18 years of experience in the development sector, Dr. Nielsen has worked across sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. She has collaborated with leading organisations such as USAID, World Education, Save the Children, and UNICEF, tirelessly advocating for marginalised communities and driving impactful change.
Dr. Nielsen holds a PhD and MA in Education, Gender, and Development from the prestigious University of East Anglia, UK. Her academic foundation laid the groundwork for her distinguished career, where she has consistently demonstrated a relentless pursuit of positive change and a deep commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable.

Ms Niki Tavakoli is the Head of UNOCHA Humanitarian Advisory Team in the Islamic Republic of Iran since mid-April 2024. In the realm of international development and humanitarian affairs, she stands as a seasoned professional with a long career within the United Nations System. Her expertise spans across various programme on sustainable development, Disaster Risk Reduction, development- humanitarian nexus, and cross-cutting issues. Ms Tavakoli holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Mr. Ricardo Rodriguez (Spain) was appointed as Head of UNAMI Liaison Office in Tehran on January 27th, 2024. Mr Rodriguez has served for more than 25 years in different UN missions in complex political and security environments. His work has included positions as Civil and Political Affairs Officer in the UN missions in Tajikistan, Kosovo, Sudan, Darfur and Afghanistan. His latest assignments were as Head of Regional Offices in Afghanistan (UNAMA-Southeast Region from 2013 to 2016) and in Iraq (UNAMI-Kurdistan Region from 2016 to 2024). Mr Rodriguez holds a Master’s Degree in Oriental Studies from Baku University and completed several postgraduate studies. including international law, international relations and Business Management in Spain. He is fluent in English, Russian, Persian, Serbo-Croatian, and his native Spanish languages.

Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain (Pakistan) has been reassigned as WHO Country Representative and Head of Mission, Islamic Republic of Iran effective 1 April 2021. Prior to joining as Head of Mission Iran, Dr Hussain was working as Chef de Cabinet, WHO Regional Office EMRO 1 July 2019-31 March 2021. Prior to that, Dr Hussain has worked as WHO Representative/Head of Mission Libya (September 2015-July 2019) and Head of Mission Tunisia (May 2016-Feb 2018). During this period Dr Hussain took the responsibility of Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. for a period of six months. Before joining Libya office, Dr Hussain worked as WHO Representative/Head of Mission for Iraq 2010-2015 including covering Syria for some time. His previous work assignment include serving as Regional Adviser Health Promotion/Violence, Injuries and Disabilities, WHO Regional Office for EMR since 2003. Dr Hussain holds a Doctorate in Public Health from Belford, United States, and a Master Degree in Hospital and Health Services Management from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom and Medicine Degree from University of Peshawar, Pakistan. Prior to joining WHO Regional Office, Dr Hussain held the positions of Project Officer Child Health, UNICEF, Pakistan, WHO Technical Officer Child Health, Pakistan, and Health Coordinator in UNHCR, Pakistan/Afghanistan, from 1997 to January 2003. His government assignments include Assistant Director of the EPI, Assistant District Health Officer, Deputy Medical Superintendent Psychiatric Hospital, and National Programme Manager Lady Health Programme for Primary Health Care and Family Planning from 1990 to 1997. Dr Hussain worked extensively in emergency settings, particularly focusing on post-emergency health system strengthening as well as health issues of refuges and migrants in the Region and beyond. Dr Hussain served as Regional Ombudsperson 2006-2010. Dr Hussain has led many UN leadership initiatives with UN staff college, World Bank and WHO and the author of numerous publications in international journals.

Dr. Yumiko Ishikawa-Takashima has joined UNHCR Iran as Representative in August 2023. She has more than 24 years of experience working with UNHCR, having served in a range of functions, including in relevant senior leadership and management roles in Sudan, Thailand, Myanmar, Kenya, Uganda, Syria, Tokyo, and Geneva Headquarters, with her most recent post as Deputy Representative in Kabul, Afghanistan. Dr. Yumiko Ishikawa-Takashima is a national of Japan and holds a Doctorate in International Relations/Political Science from Gakushuin University of Japan with a focus on reintegration and durable solutions for the Afghan refugee situation.