Our team in Uzbekistan

Mr Muhidov (Tajikistan) possesses 27 years of experience in sustainable development, disaster risk reduction, disaster response and preparedness in the region of South Caucasus and Central Asia, including with UNDRR, OCHA and UNDPI. He has gained expertise in programme management, cross-sector coordination and resource mobilisation, capacity building, urban resilience and regional coordination.

Ms Mittal (India) has been working with UNODC for over 21 years in diverse capacities. Before taking her current position, she served as the Officer-in-Charge and the Deputy Representative of UNODC in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2014. From 1995 to 2009, Ms Mittal served as the Deputy Representative, UNODC Regional Office for South Asia. Before that, she served with WFP in India, engaging on food and security. Prior to joining the UN, she worked extensively with civil society on drug use prevention, treatment and rehabilitation in India (1986-1993). Ms Mittal holds a Graduate degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Delhi University in India. She was a Fulbright Fellow (1989-90) in the USA.

Mr Khankhodjaev (Uzbekistan) before joining ILO had interacted for over 15 years with international development agencies. He notably worked within a joint UNDP-Government Project on the establishment and institutional development of the first think tank institution in Uzbekistan – the Center for Economic Research (CER). He holds a Bachelor's degree in political science from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy and a Master's degree in international economics from Tashkent State University of Economics.

Ms Maksudova (Uzbekistan) started her career at the Businesswomen’s Association of Uzbekistan in 2000. In 2007, she joined UNAIDS as a project coordinator, and in 2008 continued to work at UNAIDS country office as an administrative programme associate. After UNAIDS Uzbekistan Office closed in 2017, she was transferred to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and appointed as programme officer on community support and gender for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Ms Maksudova graduated from Tashkent State Economic University in 2001. She holds a Master’s degree in Foreign Economics and Bachelor’s degree in International Economic Relations.

Mr Schodder (Germany) assumed his duties as UNHCR Representative in Central Asia in September 2020. He has been working for the UNHCR for almost 30 years, including his roles as UNHCR representative in Serbia (2015-2020), Deputy Chief of Mission of UNHCR in India (2012-15), Senior Emergency Coordinator in the Syria Crisis (2014), Representative in Kyrgyzstan (2008-12), Senior Protection Officer in Sri Lanka, Sudan and Ukraine (2001-8), Senior Liaison Officer of UNHCR to the OSCE (1996-2001) as well as in the field in Vietnam and Hong Kong (1991-1996). Mr Schodder graduated from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London UK.

Ms Iarema (Ukraine) has more than ten years of experience in environmental policy and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) security and risk mitigation. She began her career as a researcher in the National Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (2006-2009). She then joined the Ministry of Environment of Ukraine as a Chief Specialist in the International Department and Focal Point to the UNECE- WHO Protocol on Water and Health (2009-2010). She then worked for OSCE, the EU Delegation to Ukraine, and EBRD. Ms Iarema holds an MA in International Peace and Security (King’s College London, 2016) and an M.Sc. in Ecology and Environmental Protection (National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine, 2009). She is a certified Nuclear Security Professional by the World Institute for Nuclear Security.

Mr Hladík (Czech Republic) served for more than 27 years with UNESCO, essentially in the field of cultural heritage standard-setting instruments such as the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols, the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. He also assumed the function of the Secretary of statutory bodies under those conventions. He graduated from the International Law Faculty of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) and obtained the title Juris doctor the same year from the Charles University in Prague. He assumed duties as Head of the UNESCO Tashkent Office and the UNESCO representative to Uzbekistan in November 2019.

Dr Kuppens (Netherlands) is the WHO Representative in Uzbekistan since January 2017. She has over 20 years’ experience with the UN, including with WHO, UNICEF, UNDP and OCHA. She has served at headquarter level, as well as in several countries in Africa and South-East Asia, including low, middle –income countries and emergency response. Before her current position, she notably served as UNICEF Chief of Health and Nutrition in Bangladesh (2012-2016), UNICEF Chief of Health, HIV, Nutrition and WASH in Sierra Leone (2010-2012), UNDP/OCHA Inter-cluster coordinator in Myanmar (2008-2010), WHO HIV country coordinator and emergency response and preparedness in Myanmar ( 2006-2010). Dr Kuppens has a medical degree from the University of Nijmegen, Netherlands and a Master’s degree in Public Health and Epidemiology (Antwerp, Belgium).

Ms Dimovska (Republic of North Macedonia) assumed the role of UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan in March 2019. Before this, she led the Country Office Support Team at UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub for Europe and the CIS as of July 2016. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Turkey (2012-2016) and in Moldova (2008-2012) and as Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP in Georgia (2006 -2008). Before joining UNDP, she served as Representative to UNIDO Investment Promotion Service in Vienna, and also worked for the Macedonian Privatization Agency and the private sector in Skopje. Ms Dimovska holds a Master’s degree in Economic Policy and Development from St. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje.

Mr Mammadzade (Azerbaijan) assumed his duties as the Representative of UNICEF Country Office in Uzbekistan in August 2020. Prior to this, he served as UNICEF Deputy Representative to Kyrgyzstan for three years. He has worked in UNICEF Country Offices in Azerbaijan, Moldova and Nepal as well as the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. Before joining UNICEF, Mr. Munir Mammadzade has worked in different sectors, capacities and roles, such as the executive director of one of the biggest youth NGOs, head of international department in the Human Rights Ombudsman's Office in Azerbaijan. He graduated from the Moscow State Open University and has a degree in economics and holds a Master of Advanced Studies on Children’s Rights from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.

Mr Komenda (Canada) took up the position of Regional Representative with the OHCHR Regional Office for Central Asia in May 2016. Prior to this post, he was a Senior Advisor on Human Rights to the UNCT in the Russian Federation. His professional assignments also included Canadian Red Cross Society, the United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Canadian Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Canadian International Development Agency, the Council of Baltic Sea States, and the UNDPKO. Among others, he was the Head of Human Rights Office in Abkhazia, Georgia (UNOMIG) from 2007 to 2009. Mr Komenda is a human rights lawyer with Master’s of Laws (LL.M.) degree in International Human Rights (University of Ottawa, Canada) and Magister Juris (University of Gdansk, Poland).

Mr Toshbaev (Uzbekistan) worked at a UNDP administered Parliamentary Development Project before joining IOM in 2015. Before that, he worked at the National Human Rights Centre of Uzbekistan (2005-2011) and as a legal consultant at the Uzbek Agro-Machinery Leasing Company (2002-2005). Mr Toshbaev’s holds a BA in Combined Studies (Law, Politics and Economics) from Teesside University (United Kingdom), a Master’s degree in Law from the Tashkent Law University, and an MA in International Relations from the Academy of Public Administration in Tashkent.

Mr Gutu (Moldova) is FAO's Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia and FAO Representative for Turkey and Uzbekistan. Before joining FAO in 2014 as the head of FAO Tajikistan office, Gutu was Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry in Moldova. In this position, he was responsible for the coordination, monitoring and evaluation of strategic policy implementation in agriculture and rural development. He also served as economic affairs officer with the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, where he dealt with peacekeeping operations, poverty alleviation and prevention of the emergency situations. He holds a doctoral degree in economics.

Mr Yu Yu (China) has more than 17 years of work experience with UNFPA. He was appointed UNFPA Representative in Uzbekistan and Country Director in Tajikistan in August 2019. Before that, he worked as UNFPA Deputy Representative in Zimbabwe (five years) and Pakistan (four years), Head of Office in DPR Korea (five years) and National Programme Officer in China (three years). He also worked for three years at the Ministry of Commerce of China before joining UNFPA. Mr Yu Yu holds an MSc Degree in Public Policy and Management from the University of London and a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.