Our Team in Azerbaijan

Vladanka Andreeva

Vladanka Andreeva

RCO
UN Resident Coordinator
vladanka.andreeva@un.org
 
 
Ms Andreeva was appointed as UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan in July 2021. She brings 21 years of experience in international development, humanitarian coordination, advocacy, and partnership building, which she has acquired within the United Nations and externally through multiple assignments across Europe and Asia. She previously served as the Country Director for UNAIDS in Cambodia, Strategic Intervention Adviser for the UNAIDS Regional Office for Asia-Pacific, Monitoring and Evaluation Team Lead for UNAIDS Viet Nam, UNDP Policy Advisor for Europe and CIS, Advisor to the UN Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia, as well as worked at WHO and OCHA in North Macedonia.
Aleesandro Fracassetti

Alessandro Fracassetti

UNDP
Resident Representative
 
 
 
Mr. Alessandro Fracassetti was appointed as UNDP Resident Representative for Azerbaijan in December 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Fracassetti served as UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Azerbaijan, North Macedonia and Croatia, and Assistant Resident Representative in Belarus. He also served with the OSCE in Croatia as Spokesperson and in Bosnia and Herzegovina as Senior Election Officer and Senior Political Advisor. Mr. Fracassetti holds a Master’s degree in EU Politics and Administration from the College of Europe, Bruges, and a BA in International Relations from the University of Sussex.
Edward Carwardine

Edward Carwardine

UNICEF
Representative
 
 
 
Mr. Carwardine assumed the position of UNICEF Representative to the Republic of Azerbaijan in August 2016. Prior to that, he worked as UNICEF`s Deputy Director of Communication in New York. Previously, Mr. Carwardine served as Chief Communication in UNICEF Indonesia in 2009 and in UNICEF Kabul in 2004. In 2002, Mr. Carwardine worked in support of the 2002 UN General Assembly Special Session on Children, production of the organization’s global Humanitarian Action Report. Mr. Carwardine holds a Bachelor`s Degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Liverpool (UK).
Farid Babayev

Farid Babayev

UNFPA
Head of Office
 
 
 
Dr. Farid Babayev serves as Assistant Representative of UNFPA’s Country Office in Azerbaijan since May 2006. On this position, he is responsible for overall coordination and management of the portfolio of UNFPA-funded programmes under supervision of UN Resident Coordinator and UNFPA Representative. Graduated from Azerbaijan Medical University, Dr. Babayev holds Master Degree in Business Administration from Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge University and PhD from Azerbaijan Postgraduate Institute. He is fluent in Azerbaijani, Russian, English and French. Married, father of two children.
Guido Ambroso

Guido Ambroso

UNHCR
Representative
 
 
 
Mr. Ambroso was appointed UNHCR Country Representative in Azerbaijan in July 2018. He has worked in the humanitarian field for over 30 years, almost exclusively with UNHCR in different capacities by holding senior positions in Uganda, Iran, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan (from 1995 to 1997), Somalia, Belgium, Tanzania and UNHCR HQs Geneva. Mr. Ambroso was brought up in Milan and is a citizen of Italy. He holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Geography and a Ph.D. in Geography, both obtained from University College London, University of London.
Hande Harmanci

Hande Harmanci

WHO
Representative
 
 
 
Dr Hande Harmanci took office as WHO Representative and Head of Country Office in Azerbaijan in August 2018. Prior to her appointment, Dr Harmanci worked in various positions in WHO Headquarters in the areas of human resources for health, pandemic preparedness, influenza and viral hepatitis. Previously, she was a professor of public health and community medicine in Marmara University, Istanbul. Dr. Harmanci graduated from Hacettepe University Medical School and holds Doctor of Public Health Degree. She is an amateur ceramicist.
Melek Cakmak

Melek Cakmak

FAO
Head of Office
 
 
 
Ms. Ҫakmak, a national of Turkey, holds M.A. degree in Agricultural Economics from Stanford University. Before FAO she worked as a researcher in various national and international organizations. She joined FAO in 2003 as Assistant FAO Representative in Turkey. From 2008, she worked as FAO Field Programme Support and Monitoring Officer in the FAO Subregional Office for Central Asia, Ankara. Since 2016, Ms. Melek Ҫakmak has been serving as the Head of FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan.
Olga Koulaeva

Olga V. Koulaeva

ILO
Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Country Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia
 
 
 
Olga V. Koulaeva was appointed Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Country Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia on 1 November 2016. Since February 2010, she had served as a Senior Employment Specialist at the ILO DWT/CO for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Ms Koulaeva graduated from the Moscow State University Department of Economics and holds a Ph. D. in Economics. She is fluent in English and Swedish. In 2002-2005, she was Financial Manager and Project Director with the Swedish National Labour Market Board and the Swedish Public Employment Service.
Rashad Huseynov

Rashad Huseynov

UNIC
Director
 
 
 
Mr Huseynov has over 20 years of experience in the field of media, communications and political affairs. He joined the UN since August of 2017 as a National Information Officer. Prior to this, Mr Huseynov worked as a Media Officer at the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna; Public Information Officer at the OSCE Office in Baku; Director of Press Department at the Embassy of Israel in Azerbaijan; as well as anchor, editor and reporter in various national media outlets. He holds a PhD in Political Science.
Vladimir IOM

Vladimir Gjorgjiev

IOM
Chief of Mission
 
 
 
Mr. Gjorgjiev has over 21 years of experience at the international and national levels, last worked in Amman, Nairobi and Skopje as an IOM expert on procurement and assets management. Prior to this, he served as a Head of IOM Global Procurement and Supply Unit in Manila Administrative Centre (Philippines) and as a Procurement Logistics officer in Indonesia. Mr. Gjorgjiev is a national of North Macedonia and holds a Master’s Degree of Economic Sciences and an International Certificate on Public Procurement from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply.
Shkolnikov

Vladimir Shkolnikov

OHCHR
Regional Coordinator
 
 
 
Dr. Shkolnikov is the Senior Human Rights Adviser for the South Caucasus, OHCHR, since July 2011. Prior to this, he held positions with various European civil society organizations. He served as the Head of Democratization Department and the Adviser on Migration and Freedom of Movement at OSCE/ODIHR in Warsaw. Dr Shkolnikov also held the position of Resident Research Consultant at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California. He earned his Ph. D. and Master’s Degree in Public Policy Analysis at the RAND Graduate School of Policy Studies in Santa Monica.