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.

Since April 2013, Ms. Enkhtsetseg Shagdarsuren has been working as a Country Programme Manager and officer in charge of UN-Habitat Mongolia. She joined UN-Habitat in 2006 as a project manager for the UN-Habitat project on Pro-poor Ger Area Upgrading Strategy and Investment Programme of Ulaanbaatar City. Before she joined the UN-Habitat, she worked for the Land Administration and Urban Development Departments and Urban Development, Research and Design Institute of Ulaanbaatar City and Land Affairs, Geodesy and Cartography Agency under the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development as a GIS Expert, Head of Land Information Center, and Head of Divisions.

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.

Mr. Giuseppe Crocetti was appointed as the IOM Chief of Mission in the People’s Republic of China and the non-resident IOM Chief of Mission for Mongolia based in Beijing, China in 2018. Mr. Giuseppe Crocetti graduated in Law and received his Masters in European Studies and International Relations from La Sapienza University in Rome in 2002. Admitted to the Bar soon after his university studies, Mr. Crocetti practiced law before the Italian courts before joining in 2004 the International Criminal Tribunal for the Genocide in Rwanda based in Arusha, Tanzania. Specializing in international human rights law with a focus on migrants rights, Mr. Crocetti began his career with the International Organization for Migration in 2005 serving first with the IOM Mission in Sri Lanka until 2007. From 2007 to 2009 Mr. Crocetti was posted in Cambodia leading IOM’s programming in the area of technical cooperation and capacity building on migration management. In 2009 Mr. Crocetti was appointed as the IOM Chief of Mission in Papua New Guinea where he served for four years assisting, amongst many other achievements, the government of Papua New Guinea in becoming a Member State of IOM.

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).

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.