Our Team in Seychelles

Abigail Noko is the Regional Representative for Southern Africa at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). She has worked at the OHCHR for the past 19 years in various capacities. In her current capacity, she is responsible for overseeing the work of the regional office which covers 14 countries (Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe). This includes providing technical assistance and advisory services in human rights to States, United Nations agencies, sub-regional organizations, national human rights institutions, and civil society organizations.

Alia Hirji has joined the Mission to Mauritius and Seychelles from the IOM Sudan where she was based since July 2020. Previous workstations with IOM included Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and the Maldives.
Alia’s educational background spans from a Master’s Degree in Women Studies and a Graduate Diploma in Refugee and Migration Studies from York University in Toronto, Canada. Alia looks back on more than 17 years of practical experience within IOM in providing direct assistance to vulnerable migrants specifically in the areas of counter-trafficking and migrant protection.

Alka Bhatia is a senior development professional with more than 35 years of experience in poverty reduction, trade, and sustainable development. Since joining UNDP in 2009, she has provided strategic policy leadership and advisory support to governments and UN Country Teams, including in Namibia, Lesotho, and Malawi.

Before joining UNDP, Ms. Bhatia served in senior roles with the Government of India, focusing on trade policy formulation and international negotiations. She represented India at the World Trade Organization in Geneva during the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations and later served as an Economic Affairs Officer at the WTO, supporting trade and development priorities for Least Developed Countries through the Enhanced Integrated Framework. Her work brings together public policy expertise, international development experience, and a strong commitment to advancing inclusive, sustainable, and resilient development outcomes.

Ms. Bhatia holds a Master of Arts from Punjab University, India, and completed advanced training in International Economics and Trade at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

Aloys Nizigiyimana holds a Master’s degree in Genetics and a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences from the Catholic University of Louvain, as well as an Agricultural Engineering diploma from the University of Burundi.

Since September 2021, he has served as Deputy Representative of the FAO in Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles. He has also been Acting FAO Representative for these four countries from March 16, 2026, to the present.

He joined the FAO in 2001 as a seed expert in Burundi. From 2011 to 2021, he worked in Haiti as a seed and agricultural research expert, while also coordinating FAO’s emergency and resilience program.

Between 1987 and 2001, he was successively Researcher, Professor, and Dean of the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences at the University of Burundi, while carrying out teaching and research support missions in universities and research institutions in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Belgium.

He has extensive experience supporting governments in developing seed strategies that integrate biodiversity concerns and adapt to climate change, as well as in the collection and conservation of plant genetic resources.

Mr. Abbashar was appointed as the Chief of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Regional Office for Africa in 2016. From 2010 to 2015, he was the Chief of the UNDRR Regional Office for Arab States in Cairo, Egypt.
Mr. Abbashar began his United Nations career in the early 1990’s serving as Programme Officer with the UNDP Emergency Unit in Sudan dealing with Operation Lifeline Sudan.

From 1995 - 1997 he served as Field Coordinator in the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in Monrovia during the Liberian civil war, and from 1998 to 1999 he was assigned as Deputy Head office in OCHA Sierra Leone.
He joined the Policy Development and Studies Branch at OCHA Headquarters in New York in 1999, serving as a Humanitarian Affairs Officer focusing on inter- governmental matters related to the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.

From 2004 - 2005, Mr. Abbashar served as the Chief of Staff of OCHA. Later- in 2006, he was Chief of the Policy Planning and Analyses Section where he focused on developing policies related to humanitarian affairs and their interface with the UN’s development, political and peacekeeping agendas. In 2006 he helped establish the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

Later he was part of the small team that established United Nations Peace-building Support office and the Human Security Trust Fund.

Mr. Abbashar graduated from Khartoum University and obtained an MA in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia.

Ms. Mutavati has served as the UN Women Country Representative in Kenya since 2019. Prior to that, she was the UN Women Deputy Representative in Uganda (2014-2019). In addition, she has held several OIC roles during her work at the UN Women, including Deputy Regional Director a.i. for Eastern and Southern Africa (2023/2024), Representative a.i. in Ethiopia (2022), and Deputy Representative a.i. in South Africa (2019).

Before joining UN Women, Ms. Mutavati worked as the Gender and Human Rights Advisor at UNICEF Zimbabwe (2012-2014), Senior GBV Programme Coordinator (2009-2012), Regional Programme Coordinator (2008-2009) at UNFPA Uganda, National Programme Officer for Gender and Advocacy at UNFPA Zimbabwe (2005-2008), and Programme Manager for Legal Aid at the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (1999-2004).

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law (Honours) and a Master’s Degree in Women’s Law from the University of Zimbabwe.

Etleva (Eva) Kadilli is the UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. In this function, Ms. Kadilli is responsible for leadership, oversight and guidance to 21 UNICEF country offices in the region, and the representation of the organization with governments, donors, civil society and private sector. Prior to this role, Eva was Director of UNICEF’s Supply Division, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. In this capacity, she led UNICEF’s global supply chain operations and strategic market shaping functions for programmatic areas including health, nutrition, and water & sanitation, with an annual expenditure of over USD 7 billion, in cooperation with national governments, donors, private sector and partners. Responsible for the management of UNICEF’s supply response to humanitarian crises, Ms. Kadilli also led the organization’s historic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including accelerated access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics, as well as other supplies such as syringes, personal protective equipment, cold chain equipment, and oxygen. A UNICEF staff member for over 27 years, Ms. Kadilli has held roles at headquarters and in country offices, in both development and emergency contexts, including Albania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of the Gambia, and Somalia. Prior to her appointment as Supply Division Director in March 2018, her positions with Supply Division included Deputy Director, Supply Chain, and Chief of Contracting. Throughout her career, Ms. Kadilli has been a strong advocate for staff well-being, culture change and innovation. She is married and is the mother of a teenage son. Ms. Kadilli holds a Master’s degree in Science with a specialty in Finance. She is an Albanian national.

Mr. Frederick MUIA has been appointed Director of the ILO Country Office for Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius and Seychelles, with effect from 1 September 2023.

Born on 18 April 1969, Mr MUIA holds a Diplôme d'Études Approfondies (DEA) in Business Communication and Sociolinguistics from the Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, France, and a master's degree in Language and Communication Sciences from the Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.

A global labour, employment and project management executive with over 22 years' experience, focusing on private sector development, employers' organisations, capacity development, stakeholder engagement and tripartism, civil society, governments, the United Nations, bilateral and multilateral organisations, Mr MUIA has recognised expertise and experience in skills development, entrepreneurship and job creation. He has recently developed a keen interest in the digital economy and social media as a means of influencing policy.

Before joining the ILO, Mr MUIA was:
- Project Manager at ERS Global, a project of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Teacher in the training programme for administrators, Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), Lagos,
Nigeria.
- Partner, African Union Partnership for Youth Empowerment "1 million by 2021" Initiative, Geneva,
Switzerland and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Senior Adviser for Africa, International Organisation of Employers, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Head of Investment and Government Relations, French Trade Commission for East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.
- Lecturer at the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Mr. MUIA is married and has three children.

Mr. Haitian Lu leads the Capacity Development Programme Management Office (CDPMO) of DESA. The Office manages and coordinates the capacity development function of the Department through the formulation, coordination and implementation of the Department’s capacity development activities for the coherent and integrated delivery of capacity development programmes, projects and other activities and the promotion of direct and effective translation of intergovernmental outcomes into the operation programmes. The Office supports the Under-Secretary-General in his role as Programme Manager of the United Nations Development Account, and in promoting strategic cooperation and partnerships within the Secretariat and with the Account, and in promoting strategic cooperation and partnerships within the Secretariat and with the United Nations development system at large, including the resident coordinator system, to promote more coherent, coordinated and cross-sectoral support for the implementation of the two agendas.

Mr. Joseph Rostand Olinga Biwole works as Representative and Country Director for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Madagascar; also covering Comoros, Mauritius and Seychelles. Prior to this, he was Acting Country Director for Burundi from March to December 2021. From September 2019 to February 2021, he was Programme Officer at IFAD’s Sub-Regional Office for East Africa and the Indian Ocean in Nairobi-Kenya. He joined IFAD in 2014 as Programme Officer, where he held a portfolio covering Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Gabon.

Prior to joining IFAD in 2014, he worked for national and international development and humanitarian organizations. From 2000 to 2004 he worked in Cameroon with different NGOs. In 2004, he joined the UN Inter-Agency Unit for Coordination of Reintegration in Burundi; worked as Reintegration Officer and as Programme Officer of the UNV Country Programme, respectively. In 2009 he moved to Chad to serve in the UNDP Recovery Programme in eastern Chad as Technical Specialist in charge of socioeconomic recovery. He was promoted in 2010 to Recovery Programme Coordinator and in 2013 to Head of the Field Coordination Office in Eastern Chad, respectively.

M. Olinga Biwole holds an engineering degree in agronomy from the University of Dschang / Cameroon. He also holds a Diploma in Local Development from the ILO Training Centre/Turin-Italy as well as a Master of Arts in International Relations and Affairs from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy/Tufts University in Massachusetts-United States.

Lorence Ansermet is the UNIDO Officer in Charge in the United Republic of Tanzania, covering also Burundi, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles and the Union of Comoros. She has about 30 years of experience in international field with more than 20 years in development cooperation. She is currently supporting the formulation and facilitating the implementation of UNIDO portfolio in these countries.

Leading the UNIDO Field Office in Tanzania, Ms Ansermet is dedicated to support the country’s efforts to support SMEs, women and youth through their integration into sustainable value chains. She is convinced that a new circular economic model, that protects the environment at the design stage of supply chain has to be put in place for the sake of the planet and its people. Previously in the Department of Agri-business in UNIDO Headquarter in Venna, she focused her work to fight biodiversity loss, deforestation and climate change while empowering rural communities.

Ms. Ansermet has extensive experience in the field having worked as a UNIDO Representative in Madagascar from 2011 to 2016, also covering Seychelles, Mauritius and Comoros. In Madagascar, she developed the UNIDO portfolio on renewable energy, creative industries and sustainable sugar value chain. From 2006 to 2010, she led the process of opening up UNIDO’s regional office in South Africa and developed a programme on energy efficiency.

From 1999 to 2006, she worked for the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland, where she implemented trade development projects in West Africa, Vietnam, China and South Africa. Ms. Ansermet has also worked in humanitarian contexts with the International Committee of the Red Cross. She played a key role in programme implementation during the conflicts in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. She is an economist graduated from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. She is motivated to create, innovate and implement positive changes for the people and the planet.

Mihoko Kumamoto is a senior leader and global expert in sustainable development, with nearly 30 years in international development and over 20 years with the United Nations. She holds a Master’s in Economic Development from Columbia University and currently leads UNITAR’s Division for Prosperity, driving initiatives on inclusive economic growth, capacity development, and innovation.

She began her UN career in 2001 with UNDP in Viet Nam and later held leadership roles at UNDP Headquarters, the Pacific, and Indonesia, focusing on capacity building, crisis recovery, and climate adaptation. In 2014, she joined UNITAR as Head of the Hiroshima Office and was appointed inaugural Director of the Division for Prosperity in 2019, expanding its global reach and impact. Mihoko is recognized for her strategic vision and commitment to fostering resilient, inclusive, and sustainable development through education and innovation.

Oumar has more than 18 years of academic and practical experience in land, natural resources, conflict resolution, urban development, regional cooperation and partnership. Prior to being appointed as Acting Director for the Regional Office for Africa, Oumar was coordinator of the Urban Legislation, Land and Governance Branch within UN-Habitat. As the Leader of the Land and GLTN Unit, Oumar has led the efforts towards improving tenure security for the vulnerable through the expansion of GLTN’s work at the country level; advocating for wider incorporation of land governance in the overall SDGs agenda towards bridging the gap between rural and urban land nexus, and to build strong partnership on land governance.

Rex Mpazanje is the WHO Country Representative to Seychelles; a position held since 24 April 2022. Rex comes from Malawi. His key areas of expertise include health emergencies preparedness & response, communicable & non-communicable diseases control, health sector leadership, health services management, health sector policy & planning, and medical practice. Hence, his career spans medical practice, district health management, national health planning, clinical/population services directorate headship in Malawi; health program development consulting across 5 countries (i.e. South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, and Kenya); HIV programming advisory (Kenya & Nigeria), communicable & non-communicable diseases control coordination (Nigeria), emergency preparedness & response coordination and COVID-19 incident management (Nigeria) in WHO. His main academic qualifications include a diploma in medical sciences (Scotland), a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery (UK & Malawi), a postgraduate certificate in public health/environment disaster preparedness & response (Japan), and a master’s degree in business administration in health policy, planning and management (UK).

Prior to taking up her role as the Director and Regional Representative of UNEP Africa Office, Ms. Rose Mwebaza served as the Director and Advisory Board Secretary of the United Nations Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN), the implementation arm of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Technology Mechanism.

Ms. Mwebaza was a lecturer at Makerere University between 1997 and 2008 where she also served as the Head of Department for Commercial Law, and Deputy Dean of the Law School. She then served as the Regional Policy Adviser for Eastern and Southern Africa on Climate Change in the Environment and Energy Group, at the United Nations Development Programme Bureau for Development Policy in Johannesburg, South Africa. She later served as Programme Manager for UNDP’s regional office for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she was also designated as Advisor to the Chairperson of the African Union and Advisor to the Committee of Heads of State and Government on Climate Change. Rose then joined the banking sector and served as Chief Natural Resources Officer at the African Development Bank in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Ms. Mwebaza holds a Ph.D. in Environment and Natural Resource Governance from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia; a master’s degree in international Comparative Law (With a Certificate of Academic Excellence) from the University of Florida, U.S.A, and a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LL. B, Hons.) from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. She is a Carl Duisburg Research fellow at the World Conservation Union (IUCN), a member of the UN Master Minds, a Member of the Association of Environmental Law Lecturers in Africa, and a founding member of the Network for African Women Environmentalists.