Our Team in Thailand

Dr. Asa Torkelson is appointed Country Director for United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Thailand Country Office in November 2021. Previously, she was the UNFPA Representative to Bangladesh and has more than 20 years of experience with international organizations, academia, government, NGOs, the private sector, and the UN system, including with FAO, IFAD, World Bank and UN Women. Dr. Asa holds a Doctorate Degree in Sociology from the University of Stockholm, a Master’s Degree in Development Economics from the Gothenburg School of Business and Commercial Law, and has an extensive background in gender.

Ms. Atsuko Okuda is the Regional Director of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Bangkok. Previously, she was the Chief of the ICT and Development Section at ESCAP. At ESCWA, she served as Chief of the Governance and State Building Section and as the Team Leader responsible for knowledge management. Ms. Okuda holds a Master’s Degree from Helsinki University, Bachelor’s Degree from Kyoto University, and has enrolled as a research fellow on e-governance at the United Nations University – Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology. Her academic articles on broadband and AI were published by the Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy.

Mr. Benedikt Hofmann is the UNODC Deputy Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific since September 2023. Previously, he was UNODC’s Head of Office in Myanmar and served in the Office of the Director, Division for Operations at UNODC Headquarters. Before that, he supported UNODC’s programme development and management in Eastern Africa, the Middle East and North Africa. Prior to that, Mr. Hoffmann monitored UNODC’s Asia and the Pacific activities covering organized crime, illicit trafficking, as well as challenges related to drug abuse and terrorism. He also served in various capacities at UNODC covering Africa, the Middle East, as well as Afghanistan.

Mr. Christian Hainzl is the Regional Manager of the UNV Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific since September 2023. Previously, he served as the UNV Regional Manager for Arab States. He also headed UNDP’s governance and local development programs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Myanmar. Mr. Hainzl served at the UNV headquarter where he managed host country relations and UN agency joint premises. He was a senior researcher at the University of Vienna, where he completed a PhD in law, and worked as an advisor to the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Hainzl holds a Master’s Degree in Law from the University of Graz and a postgraduate diploma in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University.

Mr. Dip Magar is the Team Leader for Thailand in Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). He is experienced in the monitoring and protection of human rights, serving OHCHR missions in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Africa. Previously, Mr. Magar worked with the Joint UN Human Rights Office in Sudan. He also worked for the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Nepal, where he advised the UN Country Team on transitional justice and mainstreaming human rights in UN programming. Mr. Magar holds a Master’s Degree in English and Bachelor’s Degree in Law.

Ms. Géraldine Ansart is the Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Thailand since October 2020. She has more than 15 years of experience in humanitarian aid and development programming. Previously, she was the IOM Syria Crisis Coordinator; she led the IOM - European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid partnership team in Brussels and worked as a Migration and Development Specialist covering the Great Lakes region of Africa. Ms. Ansart holds a Master’s Degree in International Administration from Sorbonne University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Law as well as Political Sciences.

Mr. Giuseppe De Vincentiis is the Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) since 2018. Previously, he was the UNHCR Representative to Myanmar. Mr. De Vincentiis has over 30 years of experience serving in various leadership roles with UNHCR in China, Switzerland, Viet Nam, Cambodia and Iran. He was also based in Italy on secondment to UNDP. He is a lawyer by background and completed his education at the Faculty of Law at the University of Naples.

Dr. Jaime Moll de Alba is the Director, Officer-in-Charge for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Regional Bureaus and Field Offices. He manages UNIDO’s 48 field offices and its 5 regional bureaus covering Africa, the Arab Region, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining UNIDO, Dr. Moll de Alba worked for the European Commission in Luxembourg supporting regional economic development, enterprise competitiveness, small and medium-sized enterprise development, as well as innovation and technology transfer. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Economic Development and a Diploma of Advanced Studies and Research Sufficiency from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.

Mr. Kim is the Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). He joined FAO in 2013 as Director of the South-South Cooperation and Resource Mobilization Division. Previously, he had served as FAO’s Deputy Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. Before joining FAO, Mr. Kim served as the Deputy Minister for Trade at the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the Republic of Korea. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Korea University.

Dr. Jos Vandelaer is the Country Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), since October 2021. Previously, Dr. Vandelaer was the Regional Director for Emergencies in the WHO Regional Office for Southeast Asia, and the WHO Representative to Nepal. In relation to health and well-being, he also worked with the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières, IOM, UNHCR and UNICEF. Dr. Vandelaer holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Harvard University, a diploma in Tropical Medicine from the Antwerp Institute for Tropical Medicine, and a Medical Doctor Degree from the Catholic University of Leuven.

Ms. Kyungsun Kim is the Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to Thailand since January 2021. Prior to this, she served as the UNICEF Representative to Panama, as a Senior Advisor at UNICEF in New York on external relations and partnerships and held positions as Senior Programme Specialist in Khartoum, Sudan. Before joining UNICEF in 2001 as a Junior Professional Officer, Ms. Kim worked for the Korea Foundation supporting research on peacebuilding between the two Koreas. She has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.

Mr. Marco Toscano-Rivalta is Chief of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) for Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Previously, Mr. Toscano-Rivalta worked with the United Nations and other international organizations in the areas of humanitarian relief, refugee protection, promotion and protection of human rights, justice administration, sustainable development and disaster risk management. He holds a degree from the University of Bologna, Italy.

Maria Holtsberg serves as Deputy Regional Director, Officer-in-Charge for UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. She leads the UN Women Asia Pacific Climate, Disaster Risk Reduction and Humanitarian portfolio. Prior to joining UN Women, Maria worked for various UN agencies, and for international NGOs in Asia for almost two decades, such as Save the Children, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and International Planned Parenthood Federation Humanitarian Hub, specializing on gender, humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction. Maria previously served as the Deputy Regional Director, Officer-in-Charge from November 2021 and September 2023. Throughout her career, Maria has championed the leadership of women and girls and women-focused organizations.

Ms. Marlene Nilsson is the Deputy Regional Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Previously, she held the position of Senior Programme Management Officer/Special Assistant in the Office of the UNEP Executive Director. She also worked in the Executive Office, Ecosystems Division and Policy and Programme Division at UNEP. Ms. Nilsson spent 13 years with United Nations Peacekeeping, working on crisis management, peace negotiations, and political affairs in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan as well as at United Nations Headquarters in New York. She holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science.

Dr. Patchara Benjarattanaporn is the Country Director at the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Previously, she served as Strategic Information Adviser at UNAIDS Thailand Country Office. Prior to joining the UN, Dr. Benjarattanaporn worked with various international organizations, including the USAID Regional Development Mission, Population Council-Regional Office, and the Family Health International-Regional Office, managing strategic information and regional HIV-related activities in Myanmar, China, Laos, Thailand and Papua New Guinea. She holds a Doctorate Degree in Demography and a Master's Degree in Population and Social Research.

Mr. Renaud Meyer is the Resident Representative at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Previously, Mr. Meyer served as the Country Director for UNDP Nepal. He also worked in Tunisia for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Development Studies from the University of Strasbourg. He also studied at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.

Ms. Samina Kadwani is the Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Multi-Country Office, overseeing Thailand, Indonesia and the Pacific Countries. Ms. Kadwani has held several positions with UNOPS in the areas of programme management, business development and client relationship management covering several geographical areas, including New York, Copenhagen, Geneva and Bangkok. She is a certified project management specialist with vast experience in managing large programmes and has studied in India and the United States.

Ms. Soohyun Kim is the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and Representative to Thailand, Myanmar, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Singapore. Prior to joining UNESCO, she spearheaded UNFPA’s intergovernmental and inter-agency coordination in New York, led UNICEF’s global partnership with IFIs, and headed UNICEF’s office in South Korea. She also led UN OCHA’s partnerships at the Regional Office for the Syria Crisis in Jordan and worked as a policy specialist at UNDP in New York. Ms. Kim began her diplomatic career at the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Yale University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and International Affairs from Yonsei University, Republic of Korea.

Mr. Srinivasa Popuri is the Senior Human Settlements Officer of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), overseeing programmes in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India, Iran and Thailand. Previously, Mr. Popuri has worked in the field of human settlements advancing Habitat agenda. Of these, he spent over 22 years with the United Nations in several countries in Asia and the Pacific after serving for 5 years with the Government of India and various international organizations.

Ms. Sylvie Bétemps Cochin is the Senior Trade Promotion Officer at the International Trade Centre (ITC) Office for Asia and the Pacific. Previously, she was adviser to a large regional trade and economic integration programme in Africa, and was also responsible for managing regional projects, supporting south-south trade promotion, institutional strengthening, and the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in Asia and Africa. Ms. Cochin holds a Master’s Degree from the Institute of Political Economy, France.

Ms. Xiaoyan Qian is the Director of the ILO Decent Work Country Technical Support Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific and Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia, and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Ms. Qian joins the ILO after serving in the Chinese public sector for more than 25 years, including in the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States, as well as most recently as the Deputy Director-General of the International Cooperation Department in the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Previously, she assumed different roles in the Ministry over more than 15 years, including as Deputy Director for Overseas Employment Administration, Director for Technical Cooperation, and Director for International Treaties. Ms. Qian has a Doctor of Law from Nankai University, a Diploma of Graduate Studies in Foreign Service from Oxford University, a Master of Economics from Renmin University, and a Bachelor of Law from East China Normal University.