Our Team in Nepal

Ms. Pieters Yahia brings over 25 years of experience in public service across diverse country contexts. She most recently served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mauritania after working as Resident Coordinator ad interim in Armenia, Equatorial Guinea and Tunisia. In these roles, she has led United Nations country teams in supporting nationally defined development priorities, strengthening system-wide coherence, and advancing strategic partnerships to accelerate progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.
Prior to joining the United Nations Secretariat in 2020, Ms. Pieters Yahia held senior leadership roles with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), including Country Representative in Tunisia, Deputy Director of the Brussels Office, and Deputy Country Representative in Türkiye. She also served in various leadership capacities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Bangladesh, contributing to efforts to strengthen national systems and advance results for children and their families.
Ms. Pieters Yahia holds a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom.
She is a proud mother of two young men.

Alice Akunga is the UNICEF Representative to Nepal. Ms Akunga is a national of Kenya and has more than two decades of experience serving children in Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives, Eswatini, Nigeria and Kenya. In her work, Ms Akunga has continually advocated for the protection and rights of children, particularly in times of heightened vulnerability. She has been instrumental in coordinating and implementing UNICEF’s efforts to deliver lifesaving humanitarian interventions in some of the toughest-to-reach areas. This includes working through the challenges of ongoing conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure that the urgent needs of children in healthcare, education, nutrition, water and sanitation and protection, among other areas – are addressed. She brings extensive experience of working hand-in-hand with governments and all other partners in promoting child-friendly governance, system strengthening as well as sustainable climate action, to protect and improve the well-being of children.

Mr. Deepayan Basu Ray is the Director of the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), a regional centre of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).

Deepayan has worked for over 20 years on arms control, sustainable development, human security, conflict and armed violence reduction, risk analysis and mitigation, tackling gender-based violence, and development assistance. Prior to joining the UNRCPD, Deepayan provided technical assistance to governments and civil society organizations in diplomatic processes such as the Arms Trade Treaty, the UN Programme of Action on SALW, and the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COPs).

Deepayan has a strong track record in strategy development and delivery, programme management, capacity building and training, and research. He is the author of several research and technical reports focused on human security, the link between development and arms control, in depth gap-analyses of laws and legislation, and the importance of public engagement to mobilize action on climate adaptation. He has developed and fostered strong and successful partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, including political leaders, government officials, representatives of
international organizations, and civil society partners and experts.

With extensive experience in the Asia-Pacific region, Deepayan has worked closely with partners across Pacific Island, South and Southeast Asian countries to strengthen their national systems, laws and legislation to ensure compliance with a range of UN treaties and agreements focused on arms control, strategic trade, and climate change.

Deepayan is a dual national of Canada and the UK, and holds an MA in International Relations (Sussex University, UK) and a BA in Political Science and Environmental Studies (York University, Canada). He is fluent in Bengali, English, and Hindi.

Dr Allison E. Gocotano assumed the responsibilities of WHO Representative, a.i. to Nepal in January 2026, and concurrently leads the WHO Health Emergencies (WHE) Programme in the country, a position he has held since 2021. He brings more than a decade of leadership experience in health security, humanitarian response, and health systems strengthening across the Asia region.

In his role as WHE Team Lead, Dr Gocotano has overseen preparedness and response operations for major public health emergencies, including the COVID 19 pandemic, the Jajarkot earthquake, and recurring floods and landslides. In 2024, under his leadership, the WHE team received the WHO Director-General’s Team Award for Excellence (SEARO) for their response to the Jajarkot earthquake.

Before joining the Nepal office, Dr Gocotano served with WHO in Myanmar (2015-2021), where he contributed to strengthening the Health Emergency Operations Centre and expanding the Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS) in conflict affected settings. Earlier in his career, he managed WHO field operations in Tacloban, Philippines, during the Super Typhoon Haiyan response, facilitating the transition from emergency relief to early recovery.

Dr Gocotano is a medical doctor and holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of the Philippines. He completed a Master of International Public Health and a Master of Health Management at the University of New South Wales, Australia. He has authored peer reviewed research on a range of public health topics.

Mr. Hector Sucilla Perez was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and brings more than 22 years of professional experience in public health, sustainable development, public policy, health governance, research, and the HIV response. He has worked across Latin America, the Caribbean, and West and Central Africa.
He joined UNAIDS in June 2014, and prior to his appointment as UNAIDS Country Director for Pakistan and Nepal, he performed as Country Director for Ghana. Previously, he served as Country Director in Guatemala; Director a.i. of the Multi-country Office for Honduras and Nicaragua; and Strategic Information Adviser for the aforementioned offices in Latin America.
Before joining UNAIDS, Mr. Sucilla Perez served the Government of Mexico for more than six years at the National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, most notably as Director of Operations Research, where he also coordinated international affairs and advanced South-South cooperation on HIV response related matters. He has also served as advisor at the Directorate-General for the Control of Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS (DIGECITSS) in the Dominican Republic.
He has represented Mexico and the Latin America and Caribbean region in several high-level governance boards and forums, including the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (UNAIDS-PCB), the Global Fund Board, the United Nations General Assembly Special Sessions on HIV/AIDS, the Technical Cooperation Group of HIV/AIDS Programmes of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission.
Mr. Sucilla Perez has also promoted regional high-level political initiatives to advance the HIV agenda, including convening the First Meeting of Ministers of Health and Ministers of Education of Latin America and the Caribbean to Stop HIV (2008), which led to the adoption of the landmark Ministerial Declaration “Preventing through Education.”
He holds a degree in Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and a Master’s in Health Management and Direction from the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) of Mexico.

Ms. Helene Fors, is the IOM Chief of Mission for Nepal since September 2023. Her illustrious career spans diverse roles in international organizations and diplomatic missions. Prior to this assignment, Ms. Fors worked as the Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Kigali, Rwanda. Her dedication extends to key roles in Iraq, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) complemented by a rich history of service, including time at the Swedish Migration Board and diplomatic posts in Iran and Croatia. Ms. Fors exemplifies a distinguished professional committed to humanitarian causes and international cooperation. She holds a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from Uppsala University, Sweden.

Jaco du Toit has an academic background in information sciences, political sciences, information for development, communication and telecommunication and media and international relations. He has worked on projects related to knowledge society development, Right to Information laws and the monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals, disabilities and Information and Communication Technologies and multilingualism and linguistic diversity. He previously held the position of Chief of the Universal Access to Information and Digital Inclusion Section at the Communication and Information Sector of UNESCO. Before that he was a Programme Specialist, providing support to the UNESCO Information for All Programme and served as regional adviser for UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector in Eastern Africa, Southern Africa and North Africa.

Mr Ken Shimizu is the FAO Country Representative for Nepal since July 2021. Prior to this appointment, Mr Shimizu worked as the FAO Representative for Papua New Guinea since 2013. Ken has 24 years of experience in food security, agricultural and rural development, natural resources management, climate change, disaster risk reduction and emergency coordination, primarily with FAO and other UN agencies in Asia and the Pacific as well as the Caribbean. Ken is a national of Japan, and holds a Masters in Environmental Planning from Cornell University in the USA.

Komal is the acting Country Manager of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Nepal since January 2021. With more than 30 years of experience in Infrastructure Project Management in both government and non-government organizations, Komal has expertise in project, preparation and implementation. He has also worked for the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Nepal. Komal is a Civil Engineer with a Master's degree in Construction Management.

Ms Kyoko Yokosuka is the UNDP Resident Representative to Nepal since August 2024.

Ms Yokosuka has over 25 years of experience in international development, having served in various leadership roles globally. Prior to her appointment in Nepal, she was the Deputy Executive Coordinator for the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, based in Bonn, Germany. She previously served as UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Uzbekistan, Lao PDR and Bangladesh. Her extensive career with the UNDP also includes roles in Romania, in the Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS, and in UNDP Headquarters in New York.

Ms Yokosuka is a Japanese national and holds a Master’s degree in Development Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

Mr. Luma Singh Bishowkarma is the Head of National Office of UNHCR Nepal, a position he has held since June 2026. He is an accomplished humanitarian and legal professional with over 18 years of experience advancing refugee protection, human rights, legal identity, and durable solutions.
During his career with UNHCR, including short-term international assignments, Mr. Bishowkarma has led and supported strategic protection and coordination initiatives in close partnership with governments, UN entities, civil society organizations, development actors, and refugee communities. His work has focused on strengthening protection systems, expanding access to rights and services, and promoting sustainable solutions for displaced populations.
Prior to joining UNHCR, Mr. Bishowkarma built a respected career in law and human rights, engaging in public interest litigation before the Supreme Court of Nepal and contributing to the work of prominent human rights and civil society organizations.
Mr. Bishowkarma holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Tribhuvan University and is a national of Nepal.

Numan Ozcan is the Country Director of the ILO Office for Nepal since 1st April 2023.

Numan has over 25 years of experience in policy advocacy and programme implementation in employment, labour rights, social dialogue and social policies.
He served as the Director of the ILO Office for Türkiye in 2015-2023. During this time, ILO’s presence in the country has significantly increased. He has managed the transformation of a small representational office into a large office with substantial development cooperation programmes on refugees, child labour, women’s employment and fundamental labour rights.
Prior to joining the ILO, Numan Ozcan worked at the EU Delegation to Türkiye for 10 years (2005-2015). He was involved in political dialogue, accession negotiations and monitoring the reform process in Türkiye’s alignment with the EU in the social policy and employment area. He also coordinated the EU’s pre-accession financial assistance programme on employment, education and social inclusion.
Numan started his career in 1998 in a Turkish trade union confederation, and later he worked in the private sector as General Manager in a business risk consultancy company, and in the public sector at the Treasury in charge of management of EU funded projects in the social field in Türkiye.
Numan studied Political Science and International Relations at the Bogazici University in Istanbul, and obtained Master of Arts degree on International Business and Management from the University of Westminster in London, and Master of Science degree on International Relations from Gazi University, Ankara.

Patricia has served the United Nations for almost 20 years at country, regional and headquarters offices. From 2016 to 2023, she has been serving as the Deputy Country Representative at UN Women Colombia, where she has led efforts across the humanitarian, peacebuilding and development nexus, and has worked for and with women peacebuilders and human rights defenders in the country. Prior to Colombia, Patricia served in Vietnam (2013-2016) as part of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and in New York (2007-2013) as part of the MDG Fund Secretariat. She has also worked with UN Women in Ecuador (2004-2007) as well as in the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama.

Patricia is originally from Spain. As a feminist, she holds a Law Degree and a Masters Degree in Human Rights and Democratization. She is mother of two daughters.

Ms. Pragya Pradhan joined UN-Habitat in Nepal as the Habitat Program Manager in July 2021. Ms. Pradhan brings to the position more than 10 years of experience in urban and regional planning, safer building construction, disaster recovery and urban resilience sectors.

Ms. Pradhan has worked in the government, the UN system and with various development partners in Nepal. Before joining UN-Habitat, Ms. Pradhan was working in UNDP Nepal leading projects on the implementation of the national building code and the development of risk sensitive land use plans and supporting housing reconstruction and recovery after the massive 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Prior to that, she was working in the Ministry of Urban Development to develop National Urban Development Strategy and various guidelines and training packages for local governments.

Ms. Pradhan holds a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a Graduate certificate in Disaster Management from University of Hawaii.

Riaz Lodhi holds a master’s degree in public administration and brings nearly 30 years of extensive experience with WFP. His career spans diverse regions, including Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where he has worked on a wide range of programs aimed at addressing food insecurity and promoting sustainable development.
Before assuming his current role as WFP Representative and Country Director in Nepal, Riaz served as the WFP Representative and Country Director in El Salvador. There, he spearheaded innovative approaches to enhancing food security and nutrition, strengthening food systems, and bolstering the government’s capacity to respond to natural disasters. Riaz contributed to reinforcing social protection systems, including the school feeding program, and founded the “Kitchen-in-a-Box” initiative, a climate-smart solution to school kitchens.
In June 2025, Riaz was honored with El Salvador’s highest national Presidential distinction, the José Matías Delgado award, in the rank of Comendador, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to saving and transforming the lives of the Salvadoran people.
Earlier in his career, Riaz worked in Tanzania, where he championed the critical role of supply chains in building resilient food systems. Before Tanzania, Riaz served as Deputy Country Director in Ecuador and then in Colombia, managing complex humanitarian programs to support internally displaced populations and refugees affected by the Colombian conflict and contributing to national capacity-building efforts.
In his time at the WFP Latin America and Caribbean Region, Panama, Riaz provided strategic support to 10 country offices, helping governments enhance their emergency preparedness capacities. He was involved in WFP’s response to some of the most significant and challenging emergencies, including those in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Haiti.
A strong advocate for partnerships and innovation in food security, Riaz is committed to addressing the complex challenges of achieving Zero Hunger. His leadership and operational expertise span both humanitarian and development contexts, making him a valuable asset in tackling food security issues on a global scale.

Roshan Cooke has a degree in Environmental Studies and Political Sciences and a Masters in Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto, Canada. He has over 25 years of experience working on community-based natural resource management in East Africa and Asia Pacific. Roshan has worked with the Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNCCD) with UNDP UNSO in East Africa, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD. He worked with IFAD's Environment and Climate Division between 2011 - 2019, supporting the mainstreaming of environment and climate change concerns into country strategies and projects in the Asia and Pacific region. He is currently IFAD's Country Director for Bhutan and Nepal and is located in IFAD's Country Office in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Sriram Haridass is the UNFPA Representative for Nepal. Prior to his appointment, he served as UNFPA Representative ad interim for Nepal from June 2025, providing strategic leadership during a period of political transition and social change. A national of Sri Lanka, he brings over 23 years of experience in strategic leadership, programme management, policy engagement and humanitarian action across Asia and Africa.

Prior to his appointment in Nepal, Mr. Haridass served as UNFPA Representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), leading the country office through a complex operating environment. Before this, he was Deputy Representative of UNFPA India, one of UNFPA's largest country programmes, and served as Representative for India and Country Director for Bhutan ad interim from September 2021 to February 2022.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Haridass served with UNFPA Sierra Leone, where he coordinated the organization's response to the Ebola crisis and managed major donor-funded programmes. Prior to joining UNFPA, he worked with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and South Sudan, contributing to critical operations in challenging environments.

Mr. Haridass holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Law and Human Rights from the University of London and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Curtin University of Technology, Australia. He is committed to advancing the rights and choices of women and girls and championing the voices of young people.

Mr. Ulrich Meiser, Law Enforcement Expert, has joined UNODC Programme Office in Nepal as the Head of Office effective 10 July 2023. Mr. Meiser holds a master’s degree in Business and Administration from the Federal University of Münster, Germany. Previously (since October 2017), he has served as the CCP Regional Coordinator in Bangkok, Thailand, and prior to that (during February 2014 – September 2017) as the UNODC Programme Coordinator for Afghanistan. Before joining UNODC, Mr. Meiser worked as Senior Technical Officer at the World Customs Organization (from December 2003 – January 2014) in Brussels, Belgium, and as Senior Customs Officer with the German Customs Administration (during August 1990 – November 2003) in Cologne, Germany. He will also function as the Regional Coordinator of the UNODC Passengers and Cargo Border Team for South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, under the overall guidance of the UNODC ROSA.