Resident Representative

Alexandra Solovieva 

Ms. Solovieva has been appointed as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic in August 2023. She brings over 25 years of experience working with the UN across countries of Asia and the Pacific, Europe, other regions, and at Headquarters. 

Prior to joining UNDP Kyrgyzstan, Ms. Solovieva served as UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Belarus from 2019 to August 2023, leading the UNDP development mandate and providing integrated support for SDG achievement in the country. Ms. Solovieva supported digital transformation, green economic transition, inclusive employment generation, climate and environment resource management, gender equality, and health system strengthening, bringing international knowledge and expertise.

During 2018-2019 Ms. Solovieva was the Chief of the External Relations and Communications Section at the United Nations Volunteers in Bonn, where she advised key stakeholders on UNV global agenda on volunteerism for SDGs and led strategic partnerships with Member States, inter-governmental, nongovernmental, and financial institutions, civil society, academia, media, and the private sector. Since 2014 Ms. Solovieva managed five global programmes on volunteer infrastructure, peace, youth, basic social services, and community resilience at the United Nations Volunteers. She led its Regional Offices in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean. 

From 2011 to 2014 Ms. Solovieva served as the Deputy Country Director (Programme) at UNDP in the Republic of India. She delivered development support services, and measures to strengthen national capacities, provided policy advice, and coordinated the preparation of key UN and UNDP frameworks and programmes contributing to national development priorities including governance, human development, social protection, livelihoods, disaster risk reduction, HIV, inclusion, and others. 

From 2003 to 2011 Ms. Solovieva held several positions at UNDP Headquarters including Programme Specialist in the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, and Management Specialist in the Bureau of Management. Ms. Solovieva started her career in Laos as UNDP Small-Grant Programme Coordinator, Head of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in that country, and served as a United Nations Volunteer on the ground. 

Ms. Solovieva holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Colorado in Denver, a Master of Oriental Studies, and a Bachelor of Oriental and African Studies degree from Moscow State University, Institute of Asian and African Studies. She speaks Russian, English, French, Thai, and Lao languages. Ms. Solovieva is married and has two children.

Deputy Resident Representative 

Monica Rijal

UNDP Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Resident Representative Ms. Monica Rijal brings 20 years of conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and recovery experience, working across the humanitarian, development, and peace nexus in NGOs, Government, human rights institutions, and the UN. 

Ms. Rijal joined UNDP in 2009 in Nepal, leading the conceptualization of the conflict prevention, dialogue, and conflict sensitivity portfolio having previously served as a Political Affairs Officer at the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) supporting political analysis, outreach, good offices for the SRSG, and monitoring the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and supported the establishment of the UN Peace Fund for Nepal in the UN RCO. During 2013 - 2015 she worked in UNDP Myanmar as a Recovery Specialist (2013-2015), leading UNDPs programmatic response to humanitarian situations.

Since 2015, Ms.Rijal has led UNDP’s work at HQ on strengthening social cohesion, conflict sensitivity, and conflict analysis in both policy and programming, and through partnerships. During this time, Monica has also represented UNDP within the UN system for coordination and partnerships on Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessments (RBPA) with the World Bank and European Union.

In her most recent role as the Team Leader for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding in the UNDP Crisis Bureau, Monica has been instrumental in developing the UNDPs Prevention offer, launching the flagship Prevention Forum and supporting/capacitating country offices to act early and at scale to prevent conflicts and build sustainable peace.

She holds a Master’s degree from the Eastern Mennonite University (USA) in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding as well as a Master's in Economics from the University of Pune (India).