Our Team in Mongolia

Dr. Changhee LEE is appointed as Director of ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia, effective from July 1, 2021. He joined ILO HQ in Geneva in 1996 where he participated in a number of major global research programme on industrial relations. Subsequently he worked as an industrial relations specialist of the ILO’s East Asian team in Bangkok covering South East and North East Asia (2000-2006) and in Beijing covering China, Mongolia and Viet Nam (2006-2012) During his service in East Asia, he provided policy advices to tripartite industrial relations actors in East Asia on a wide range of industrial relations policy issues. In 2012, he returned to ILO HQ in Geneva and worked as a senior policy analyst of the Policy Integration Department, and a senior labour relations specialist at the Inclusive Labour Markets, Labour Relations and Working Conditions Branch (INWORK). He was also a member of the Task Force for reform of ILO’s field operation, appointed by the Director-General. He worked as a Director of ILO Country Office for Viet Nam since September 2015 until his recent appointment of Country Director of ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia on July 1, 2021. Chang-Hee Lee is a citizen of the Republic of Korea. He has a Ph.D of sociology from Seoul National University (1996), and he worked as a research fellow (1993-95) and a visiting professor (2010) at the Institute of Social Sciences, Tokyo University, Japan. He has numerous articles published on industrial relations and human resource management on international academic journals. He co-edited a book “Industrial Relations in Emerging Economies – Quest for Inclusive Development” (Elgar, 2018).

Ms. Elaine Conkievich joined UNDP as Resident Representative in Mongolia on 9 November 2019. Previously, she was with UN Women since 2014 as the Representative and Head of the Multi-Country Office Kazakhstan (Central Asia) promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. Ms. Conkievich has additionally worked with the OSCE, other parts of the UN and international NGOs in several countries of Eastern Europe, Balkans, Caucasus, and Central Asia. She is a senior international development professional with 26 years of experience in the fields of governance, human rights, rule of law, gender mainstreaming, democratic institution building, conflict resolution, and preventive diplomacy. Ms. Conkievich has a Master’s degree, with a Graduate Award for Achievement, in International Studies, with a focus on Soviet Studies and peace and conflict resolution, from The American University, School of International Service, Washington DC. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with Bachelor degrees in German and International Relations and a Certificate in Russian and Eastern European Affairs from the Robert D. Clark Honors College at University of Oregon, during which she studied two years at Universität Freiburg, Germany. Ms. Conkievich is fluent in English, German, and Russian.

Mr Evariste Kouassi-Komlan was appointed to the position of UNICEF Representative to Mongolia in November 2021, overseeing UNICEF’s programmes and operations. He brings extensive experience working on children’s issues in the development and complex humanitarian contexts, with a particular focus on ensuring linkages between climate change and social sectors, as well as a history of building partnerships. Prior to this appointment, Mr Kouassi-Komlan was Regional Adviser for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office based in Bangkok, Thailand, since 2018, where he provided leadership for water, sanitation, and hygiene programmes in 24 countries and territories with a focus on innovative technical and financial solutions. During this time, he also served temporarily as Chief of Field Office for UNICEF Myanmar, providing leadership to 8 field offices. Mr Kouassi-Komlan served as Senior Adviser, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene & Deputy Director of UNICEF Global WASH programme and later Director Global WASH a.i at UNICEF Headquarters from 2012 to 2018 where he led UNICEF’s global WASH policy, human resource development, planning and monitoring, leading innovative financing globally and providing leadership for more than 100 countries. Mr Kouassi-Komlan also served as Chief of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for UNICEF Madagascar, from 2008 to 2012 at the same time acting for a long period as Deputy Representative. Previously, Mr Kouassi-Komlan served as Director of External Affairs, Research and Strategic Development at Centre Regional pour l’Eau Potable et l’Assainissement in Burkina Faso from 2003 to 2008 where he provided programmatic and managerial leadership and orientation to 24 French and English-speaking African countries. Before 2003, he advised organizations including the World Bank, International Water Resources Centre (IRC), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, African Development Bank, and various foundations and governments in Africa and Asia. Mr Kouassi-Komlan holds a Master of Science in Utility Management from UNESCO-IHE in the Netherlands and a Certificate of Senior Leadership and Development from Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge in the UK. Mr Kouassi-Komlan, a Togolese national, is married with 2 daughters arriving on 24th November in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Khalid Sharifi, an Afghan national, is a Medical doctor, who graduated from Kabul Medical University. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Royal Tropical Institute/VU University in Netherlands and Post Graduate Diploma in Health Care Management from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute/Basel University in Switzerland. Khalid Sharifi has been serving the UNFPA since 2015 in various roles, including Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Specialist in UNFPA Afghanistan, UNFPA Assistant Representative in Afghanistan and Deputy Representative a.i in the absence of the Deputy Representative. Before joining the UNFPA, he has served in Afghan NGOs in implementing the Primary and Secondary Health Care program in Afghanistan in the capacity of Managing Director, Health Director, and Program Manager for more than ten years. In addition, Khalid has worked in the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Afghan Red Crescent Society for nine years. Khalid also practiced clinical medicine at Kabul National Hospitals for four years as a pediatrician. Operational research is a favorite field of work for Khalid. During the past 15 years, Khalid participated as a principal/co-researcher in Afghanistan's public health operation research/program evaluation series. He contributed to the public health research of Afghanistan as a member of the national Institutional Review Board (IRB). Khalid brings 22 years of experience leading and administering development and humanitarian operations from grassroots to national level. Driven by the power of data, he is passionate about using evidence-based results to conduct public advocacy and high-level policy dialogue to influence decision-makers on the necessity of reproductive and sexual health, reproductive rights, youth development and gender equality for sustainable development.

Dr Sergey Diorditsa, PhD, MPH, has assumed his duties of WHO Representative in Mongolia on 2 August 2017. Prior to this assignment, Dr Diorditsa served as a Coordinator of the Extended Programme on Immunization Division at WHO Office for the Western Pacific for six years. From 2003 to 2011, Dr Diorditsa worked as a Medical Officer in WHO Representative Office for Bangladesh. His service in WHO started in 2001 as a consultant on Extended Programme on Immunization, after his career at the Institute of Viral Preparations (IVP), as well as the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Moscow, Russia. Dr Diorditsa graduated from the 1st Medical Academy of Moscow as a Doctor of Medicine. He holds an MPH in Medical Parasitology and Tropical Medicine Epidemiology, Control of Tropical Diseases from the Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine of Moscow. He earned his PhD in Virology from the IVP, Moscow, Russia.

Professor Shahbaz Khan (Australian) is the Director of the UNESCO Office in Beijing and UNESCO Representative to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea. Prof Khan joined UNESCO in 2008 at its Headquarters as Chief of the Water and Sustainable Development Section. Then he served as the Director of the Regional Bureau for Sciences in Asia and the Pacific in Jakarta, Indonesia, and UNESCO Representative to Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste (2015-2021).

Prof Khan has worked in Australia, France, Indonesia and Pakistan in various research, consultancy and policy positions. Before joining UNESCO, he was
Professor and Director at the Charles Sturt University (Australia). His work has been widely recognized e.g. 2019 China Friendship Award, Great Wall Friendship Award China 2017, FEIAP Engineer of the Year Award 2016, UNESCO Team Award for Managing Hydro Hazards 2009, Land and Water Australia’s Eureka Prize 2007,
CSIRO Medal 2007, Biennial Medal of the Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand. Prof Shahbaz Khan is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra and Western Sydney University (Australia), Adjunct Professor at the Lincoln University (New Zealand), Distinguished Professor at the National University of Science and Technology (Pakistan) and Distinguished Professor at the Capital Normal University (China).

Professor Shahbaz Khan holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Civil Engineering (1990) from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (Pakistan), a Master of Science degree in Water Resources Technology and Management (1992) and a Doctorate in Civil Engineering (1995) from the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom). He also holds a Master’s degree in International Environmental Law (2005) from Macquarie University (Australia) and a Master’s degree in Applied Environmental Economics (2007) from Imperial College London (United Kingdom) as well as a Hon Doctorate Environment and Development from the National University of Malaysia (2016) Hon DSc from the University of Birmingham (2018).

Mr. Kargbo is the Representative and Head of UNIDO’s Regional Office in the People’s Republic of China, which also covers the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Mongolia. He has an accumulated national and international work experience of over thirty (30) years in teaching/research, organizational change and development work. He has held various positions in NGOs, Academia and the UN system (UNDP and UNIDO). Before his reassignment to China, he was UNIDO Representative to Tanzania, Mauritius and the Secretariat of the East African Community (EAC). He previously served in UNIDO’s Regional Office in Ethiopia, supporting programmes and operations in Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, as well as activities related to the African Union Commission.Mr. Kargbo holds a B.Sc. in Agricultural Education from the University of Sierra Leone, M.Sc. in Rural Development and PhD in Agricultural Economics both from the Georg-August University of Goettingen, Germany.

Prior to moving to Mongolia, he was based at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok as Livestock Policy Officer. During 1998-2009, he taught at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India and worked for the World Bank in Washington DC during 1994-97. He has written extensively on a broad range of topics including barriers to collective action, poverty and income distribution, commercialization of agricultural services and food security and nutrition. He has supported a large number of field projects in Asia and promoted partnerships towards establishing new service delivery models based on genuine farmer needs. He has been an ardent advocate of the potential of dairy sector towards promotion of household food security, nutrition, and empowerment of women in poor countries. In January 2016, he was recognized by the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand for his contribution to Asian dairy sector. In recognition of his contribution, DPO awarded him a plaque which was given by HRH Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn in the opening ceremony of the national dairy festival of Thailand. In March 2017, he was presented the Asian Dairy Personality award by VIV Asia.