Our Team in Indonesia

Gita Sabharwal of India was appointed United Nations Resident Coordinator in Indonesia on 22 April 2024, with the host Government’s approval. She leads 27 UN agencies under the UN Country Team to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in partnership with the government, private sector and civil society. Ms. Sabharwal brings close to 30 years of experience in development supporting climate transition, sustainable peace, governance and social policy, while leveraging digital technology and data to accelerate SDGs.

Previously she served as UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand and as Peacebuilding and Development Advisor at the United Nations in Sri Lanka. Before joining the UN, Ms. Sabharwal was The Asia Foundation’s Deputy Country Representative for Maldives and Sri Lanka and has held positions as the Poverty and Policy Advisor for the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) in India and Viet Nam.

Ms. Sabharwal holds a Master’s Degree in Development Management from the University of Wales, UK.

Mr. Barlev Nico Marhehe joined UN Environment early 2019. He has over 15 years of experience in development organizations, specializing in country programming and government relationships. Mr. Marhehe holds master’s degrees in Development Economics from Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherland and in Quantitative Social Science from Catholic University of Brussel, Belgium, as well as BA in Economics from University of Indonesia.

Ms. Cynthia Veliko has worked across the UN system since 1999. She has served with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) since 2006 as Human Rights Advisor in three countries - Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines and was appointed as Regional Representative to OHCHR Regional Office for South-East Asia in 2017. Ms. Veliko has worked on human rights issues in the context of development, armed conflict and natural disasters.

Erik van der Veen is the Head of Office of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Indonesia and UNODC Liaison to ASEAN since October 2023. Mr. Van der Veen has served with UNODC since 2007, engaging with Member States worldwide on policy and strategy development, programme implementation, and international cooperation. He served as policy lead for terrorism prevention at UNODC Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, from 2018. He led UNODC’s partnership programme with countries in the Sahel based in Dakar, Senegal, from 2014 to 2018, and he worked in management positions for the UNODC Country Offices in Afghanistan and Pakistan between 2009 and 2014. Mr. Van der Veen holds master’s degrees in European Studies and International Relations and Philosophy.

Mr. Francis Teoh is a seasoned humanitarian professional with over 30 years of experience with UNHCR. Since joining UNHCR in Saudi Arabia after the 1st Gulf War, he has been in key roles across crises in the Balkans, Türkiye, Bangladesh, Indonesia, China, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. He served as UNHCR’s Representative in China, Senior Ops Manager in Afghanistan, and Head of Office in south Lebanon before taking up his second assignment in Indonesia as UNHCR Representative in August 2024.

His extensive experience includes leading emergency deployments in Türkiye/Iraq, Darfur, and Aceh Tsunami response. With a background in protection and business administration, he brings a wealth of expertise from operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

As the country director for IFAD Indonesia, Mr. Hani A. Elsadani - Salem possesses extensive experience in rural development, agriculture, irrigation and drainage, water resources management. Prior to his current position, Mr. Elsadani - Salem has worked in number of reputable International Financing Institutions; e.g. the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and has managed number of large IFAD country programmes in different countries. He holds a PhD in Soil and Water.

Hassan Mohtashami is a medical doctor specializing in psychiatry and post-graduate training in Population Leadership with over 32 years of leadership experience in the health sector. Prior to his current role in Indonesia, which he assumed in November 2023, he held the positions as UNFPA Representative/OIC in Turkiye, China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Eswatini, Uganda, and Sudan. Before joining UNFPA in 2004, he was WHO’s Reproductive Health Advisor in Afghanistan. He had worked in several positions in his home country, Iran, as District Health Director, World Bank Project Manager, and CEO of the National Family Planning Association (IPPF-affiliate).

Mr. Hernan Longo is a Regional Programme Coordination Officer with the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT). Prior to his appointment at UNOCT in 2019, Mr. Longo served as a Terrorism Prevention Officer with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific (2013-2019) and Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (2009-2013). Before joining the UN, he served in various capacities within the criminal justice system in his home country for 17 consecutive years. Mr. Longo is a Lawyer with a post-graduate degree in Criminal Law.

Mr. Jamshed Kazi possesses over 20 years of diverse field and senior management experience in the fields of democratic governance, programme management, inter-agency coordination, human rights, women’s empowerment and environmental policy with several UN agencies and the NGO sector. A national of Bangladesh, Mr. Kazi holds Master’s degrees on Public Administration; Development Studies; and Environmental Assessment and Evaluation, respectively, from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mr. Jeffrey Labovitz is the current Chief of Mission of the United Nation’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) for the Republic of Indonesia, serving in the position since February 2023. In a career that has spanned five continents, Mr. Labovitz brings over 27 years of experience leading and managing development programs, humanitarian response, and strategic responses to migration issues in various duty stations at the IOM Headquarters, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Prior to this appointment, Mr Labovitz served as the Director of the Department of Operations and Emergencies at the IOM headquarters. Mr. Labovitz holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of San Diego and a Bachelor Degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of California.

Ms. Jennifer Kim Rosenzweig, DrPh is the Country Director for WFP Indonesia. Ms. Rosenzweig first joined WFP in 2013 as part of the Asia regional programme team in Bangkok before moving to Rome in 2018 to take up her post as the HQ Nutrition Division Chief for Knowledge Management and Digital Innovation. Prior to joining WFP, Ms. Rosenzweig held senior management positions in the NGO sector working across the Balkans, Caucuses, and in Asia. Notably, Ms. Rosenzweig led the Indonesia Save the Children Health and Nutrition team from 2006 to 2011. She holds a Master’s Degree in Health Administration from Clark University, a Master’s in Public Health from John’s Hopkins University and a Doctorate of Public Health from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mr. Kishore Babu Yerraballa joined ITU on June 1, 2023 as Area Representative, ITU Jakarta Office. With over thirty of experience in the telecom and technology sector, he led national and global initiatives in technology, policy, operations, and international relations in Indian Administration. He contributed to the development of ICTs in next generation technologies including 5G, Quantum, IoTs, and innovative solutions for socioeconomic verticals. He enabled the creation of a national platform for technology and innovation engagement with key stakeholders including technology companies, service providers, government, standards bodies, Centres of Excellence, and academia. He holds a master’s degree in public policy and management from the Indian Institute of Management (IIMB-Bangalore), Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs (Syracuse, NY), and a bachelor's degree in electronics and communication engineering.

Ms Krittayawan Tina Boonto has 30 years’ experience in the field of development and health. She has been at UNAIDS for 25 years and since 2017 is the UNAIDS Country Director for Indonesia. Prior to Indonesia, Ms Boonto served as the Senior Investment and Efficiency Adviser in UNAIDS Myanmar. Before joining UNAIDS, Ms Boonto began her UN career with UN-ESCAP and UNICEF, in Bangkok, Thailand. She holds a Master’s Degree in Management.

Ms. Maki Katsuno-Hayashikawa brings experience of nearly 30 years with UNESCO, UNICEF and JICA, at global, regional, and country levels. She assumed her role as the Director of UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office in Jakarta, and UNESCO Representative to Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste in July 2023. Prior to her current assignment, she served as the Director of the Division for Education 2030 at UNESCO Headquarters overseeing UNESCO’s global programmes on Gender and Inclusive Education, Higher Education, Education in Emergencies and led the global SDG4 coordination mechanism. In addition, during 2022, she served as the Executive Secretary of the Secretariat for the Transforming Education Summit convened by the UN Secretary-General in September 2022. Ms. Katsuno-Hayashikawa holds Master’s degrees in Educational Planning from the Institute of Education, University College London, and in Early Childhood Education from the South Australia University; and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ms. Maniza Zaman assumed her role as UNICEF Representative in Indonesia in August 2022. She has over 25 years of experience in furthering child rights, both in development and humanitarian contexts. Previously, she served as the UNICEF Representative in Kenya and in the United Republic of Tanzania, and as the Deputy Director in Programme Division in UNICEF, New York. Ms. Zaman is a dual national of Bangladesh and the United Kingdom, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Oxford, UK, and Master of Science degree from Cornell University, USA.

Marco Kamiya is the UNIDO Representative for Indonesia, Timor Leste, and ASEAN Affairs. Before his appointment in 2023, Mr. Kamiya was the Chief of the Division of Digital Transformation and AI Strategies at UNIDO in Vienna and the chief of the Urban Economy and Finance Branch at UN-HABITAT in Nairobi, Kenya. He also served at the Development Bank for Latin America in Caracas and the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, DC. He speaks English, Japanese, Spanish, and Portuguese and publishes on development. Mr. Kamiya studied International Development at Harvard University (MPA-ID) and possesses a PhD in Economics.

Mr. Miklos Gaspar is the Director of the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Jakarta, assuming the position in September 2022. He has more than 25 years of experience in public information, communications and international relations, both at the United Nations and externally. His UN experience includes being Chief of Digital Media and Public Information Materials at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Chief of Communications and Events at the International Trade Centre (ITC). Before joining the UN in 2009, Mr. Gaspar had held several senior-level positions in the private sector, including as Editor-in-Chief of the Budapest Business Journal and Chief Operating Officer and Vice-President of Pressflex, LLC. Mr. Gaspar holds a Doctoral degree in Linguistics from the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest.

Dr. Navaratnasamy Paranietharan arrived in Indonesia in January 2018, bringing with him notable achievements in health systems strengthening, health sector coordination, and technical assistance to governments and development partners from throughout his career. Before joining the WHO Indonesia office, Dr. Paranie was the WHO Representative to Bangladesh, playing a vital role in up-scaling the health sector response to the Rohingya refugee crisis. Dr. Paranie is a Medical Doctor from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Mr. Norimasa Shimomura is currently the Resident Representative of UNDP Indonesia. He began his assignment in October 2020. Mr. Shimomura has more than 25 years of experience at the United Nations, promoting sustainable human development in many countries. Prior to his current assignment, he served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Kazakhstan in 2015-2020. Mr. Shimomura holds Master of International Affairs from Columbia University in the City of New York, and a BA from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan.

Mr. Rajendra Aryal has nearly 30 years of experience in leading and implementing development and humanitarian projects in different countries across the globe such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Serbia, South Sudan, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. He was appointed as FAO Representative for Indonesia and Timor Leste in August 2021, following senior positions with FAO for more than 20 years in different countries. Prior to this position, he was FAO Representative in Afghanistan. Mr. Aryal holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli, India and Master of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering from Leibnitz University of Hannover, Germany.

Sharon Thangadurai is currently the UNOPS Country Representative in Indonesia since November 2023. He comes with 26 years of diverse and varied experience across a range of Humanitarian, Development, Rights, Advocacy and Campaigns work and has served as Country Director for more than 16+ years with International Agencies in Asia, Africa and the Middle East region. Sharon led and managed major programs and projects around Governance, Decentralization and Democratization, Human Rights, Gender & Inclusion, Health system strengthening, Social Protection, Climate, Humanitarian aid & assistance and Disaster preparedness and response. Sharon holds 2 Bachelor’s degrees, a Master's in history and PhD in Public Health.

Ms. Simrin Singh was appointed as the new Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office for Indonesia and Timor-Leste in February 2024. Previously, she served as the Director for the ILO Country Office for Sri Lanka and the Maldives for six years from 2017 to 2023. Prior to that, Ms. Singh has worked across ILO since 2000 in Tanzania, Geneva, South Asia, and the Regional Office for Asia and Pacific. Ms. Singh holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology and Sociology from Connecticut College in the USA and a Master’s Degree in International Development Studies from the George Washington University, USA.

Thandie Mwape is a Zambian National with extensive global experience in international and development affairs spanning 20 years in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Americas with the United Nations and Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. She has led diplomacy efforts, humanitarian coordination and response, strategy development, and partnership building at various levels. Ms. Mwape is a founding member of the UNEP-led Network of African Women Environmentalists (NAWE) and also an elected member of the Board of Directors at the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA). She holds two Master of Art degrees - MA Global Diplomacy (University of London/ SOAS); MA Leading Innovation and Change from York St John University in England. She has an advanced certificate in International Humanitarian Law from Harvard University and earlier trained as a Journalist at Evelyn Hone College in Zambia.