Iran

Our team

 

Who are the decision makers?

The UN Resident Coordinator and designated representative of the UN Secretary-General is also the leader of the United Nations Country Team playing a central role in coordinating the UN operational activities for development.

The UNDP Resident Representative is the UNDP Administrator's representative at the country level, and head of the country office being ultimately responsible for the quality and sustainability of UNDP interventions.

a person posing for the camera
Ayshanie Medagangoda - Labé

Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labé, from Sri Lanka, assumed the role of Resident Representative ad interim for UNDP in the Islamic Republic of Iran in October 2024. She is a seasoned development professional with over 25 years of leadership and management experience across various country contexts, including Low-, middle- and high-income counties.
Her expertise spans policy advisory, program management, and research, with a focus on public and private sector collaboration. Within the UN/UNDP She served as Resident Representative (and stepping in as acting UN Resident Coordinator) in Nepal; Country Director ai/Deputy Country Director in Nepal (2018- 2019), Deputy Resident Representative in Morocco (2012-2018) and Algeria (2008-2012). Prior to that, she held policy advisory, portfolio management and coordination positions in Agriculture, Climate, Food Security, Rural Development, Development effectiveness/ UN (Bangladesh) and, crisis and Tsunami Emergency Coordination, (Sri Lanka) as well as research and teaching in Vietnam and Belgium.
Ayshanie holds a Msc in Agro-Economics, Sociology and Rural Development from the Faculty of Agriculture, Gembloux/(Liege), Belgium. Completed Executive Education programmes (IMD Lausanne, Switzerland/INSEAD Paris-France). She Speaks Sinhalese, English French and is a debutant in Arabic and Spanish.

Gulbahor Nematova

Gulbahor Nematova (Tajikistan) assumed the role of Deputy Resident Representative for UNDP in the Islamic Republic of Iran in August 2021. Her career with UNDP began in 2003 during which she garnered extensive experience across a spectrum of country contexts, encompassing assignments in Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and Turkey. Notably, her expertise revolves around programme management in crisis and development contexts.
Gulbahor Nematova has a Master’s Degree in Governance and Development from the University of Sussex; and Bachelor’s Degree in English Language and Literature from Kurgan Tyube State University, Tajikistan.