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Biographies of Participants

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I. MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

(Alphabetical Order)

Albania Hon. Mrs. Erjeta Alhysa Deputy of Parliament

Hon. Mrs. Erjeta Alhysa serves as Member of Parliament and a member of the Socialist Party Parliamentary Group. In her earlier career, Hon. Ms. Alhysa held the role of Vice Director of the middle school “Sadi Nuri” in Ndroq. She has also served as the Deputy Head and Head of the Socialist Party of the Commune Ndroq, Tirane. Hon. Mrs. Alhysa is a member of the Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, and Health Committee.

Hon. Mrs. Klodiana Spahiu Member of Parliament

Hon. Mrs. Klodiana Spahiu serves as Member of Parliament and the Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Labor, Social Affairs and Health. She is a cardiologist by training and has worked at the first Clinic of Cardiology in Q.S.U.T and the Pathology Department at the Regional Hospital in Durres. In addition to her political career, Hon. Mrs. Spahiu was also involved in academia. From 2000 to 2003, Hon. Mrs. Spahiu taught Physiology at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tirana. In 2006, she was a lecturer in Physiology at Albanian University (U.F.O).

Armenia

Hon. Ms. Margarit Yesayan Member of Parliament

Hon. Ms. Margarit Yesayan serves as Member of Parliament representing the Republican Party of Armenia" (RPA). She is the current Deputy Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs in the Parliament. In her early career, Hon. Ms. Yesayan worked as a journalist for the “Pioneer Kanch” newspaper and the Aravot Daily. In 2008, she received the title “Journalist of the Year” by the De Facto magazine. In 2012, she was awarded the Commemorative Medal on the “20th Anniversary of the Armenian Army” by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia.

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Azerbaijan

Hon. Mr. Shahin Ismayilov Member of Parliament

Hon. Mr. Shahin Ismayilov serves as Member of Parliament representing the New Azerbaijan Party. He is a member of the Committee on Youth and Sport, and the Chairman of the Azerbaijan Student Youth Organizations` Union. In 2011, Hon. Mr. Ismayilov was a member of the working group for the preparation of the state program titled “Azerbaijani Youth in 2011-2015” under the leadership of the President of Azerbaijan. Previously, Hon. Mr. Ismayilov was a member of the Youth IV Employment Summit in Baku. He has also worked as an interpreter in the world wrestling, boxing and fencing championships

among adolescents, and a member of the organizing committee for the the Islamic Conference from 2006 to 2009.

Bangladesh Hon. Mr. Farhad Hossain Member of Parliament

Hon. Mr. Farhad Hossain is a Member of Parliament, elected from the constituency of Meherpur-Mujibnagar. He is a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Finance and an Executive Member of the trustee board on the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs. He also heads the district committee of the Bangladesh Awami League. As an active member of the Bangladesh Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (BAPPD), he is involved with various activities related to youth development, child marriage, and breast-feeding campaigns. Previously, Hon. Mr. Hossain

has represented Bangladesh in the South Asian Parliamentarians’ Meeting on Child Marriage in March 2016 and participated in the AFPPD Standing Committee on Investing in Youth.

Indonesia Hon. Mr. Pius Lustrilanang Member of Parliament

Hon. Mr. Pius Lustrilanang has served as the Vice Chairperson of Commission IX (Population and Health) of the Indonesian Parliament since 2014. His role will continue until 2019. Hon. Mr. Lustrilanang is currently serving his second term in the Parliament representing the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra). Prior to his parliamentary career, he was a human rights activist, and has worked in several civil society organizations and private companies.

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Hon. Ir. Ketut Sustiawan Member of Parliament

Hon. Ir. Ketut Sustiawan is a Member of the House of Representatives representing the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Kazakhstan Hon. Mr. Shavkhat Utemissov Member of Parliament Hon. Mr. Shavkhat Utemissov was first time elected to the lower house of the Parliament in 2007. He is currently a member of the Parliament Standing Committee on environment and natural resources utilization. Prior to his parliamentary role, Hon. Mr. Utemissov served as the Deputy Head of the local administration in the Akzhaik district of Western Kazakhstan from 2006 to 2007. Prior to this, he held various managerial positions in local administrations.

Hon. Ms. Aigul Nurkina Member of Parliament

Hon. Ms. Aigul Nurkina was first elected to the National Parliament of Kazakhstan in 2011, and re-elected in 2016 representing the ruling party, Nur Otan. She is currently a member of the Committee on Social and Cultural Development, the Business Women Association of Pavlodar, and the Women Policymakers Club of Pavlodar. Hon. Ms. Nurkina is a specialist in family law and environment regulations. She has work experience in teaching and monitoring of social security services. While working as a professor in the Kazakh Institute of

Legislation and International Relations, she has initiated a non-profit organization that provided legal support to disadvantaged groups for free of change.

Kyrgyzstan Hon. Mr. Chynybai Tursunbekov Speaker of Parliament Hon. Mr. Chynybai Tursunbekov was elected as Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of the Kyrghyz Republic in 2016. He started his career in 1983 as editor and senior editor of the political literature editorial of the publishing house called "Kyrgyzstan." From 1989 to 1992, Hon. Mr. Tursunbekov worked as a teacher, senior lecturer, and Deputy Dean of the of Kyrgyz Philology and Journalism Department of Kyrgyz National University. From 1997 to 2010, he managed large private companies. From 2010 to 2015, Hon. Mr. Tursunbekov served

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as Member of Parliament of V convocation of the Kyrgyz Republic. He is the current Leader of the SDPK Parliamentary Faction and Leader of Coalition of the Majority of the Jogorku Kenesh.

H.E. Mme. Cholpon Sultanbekova Vice Prime Minister H.E. Mme. Cholpon Sultanbekova serves as Vice Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan. She has been a member of the Kyrgyz Parliament (Jogorku Kenesh) since 2010, and was elected as its Deputy Speaker in 2013. In her early career, she has worked as the leading expert at the Registry Office in Jalal-Abad in 1991. Since then, H.E. Mme. Sultanbekova was appointed as Director of two companies. From 2000 to 2001, H.E. Mme. Sultanbekova served as the President of the Congress of Women of the Kyrgyz Republic for the Southern region. In 2005, she founded a NGO

called “Eco-harmony Women.” In 2011, she became the Chairwoman of the Committee on Youth Policy with a focus on the development of physical culture and sports.

Hon. Mr. Osmonbek Artykbayev Member of Parliament Chairperson of NCKPD Hon. Mr. Osmonbek Artykbayev is the State Counselor of the Second Class. In October 2015, he was elected to the Jogorku Kenesh, Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic. He currently serves as the Chairperson of the National Committee of the Kyrgyzstan on Population and Development (NCKPD), which is the member National Committee of AFPPD in Kyrgyzstan. Hon. Mr. Artykbayev was elected as Member of Parliament of the IV Convocation from 2005 to 2010. He

has also worked as the Minister of Energy from 2010 to 2011 and from 2013 to 2014. Previously, Hon. Mr. Artykbayev was a businessman, acting as the Director-General of major local companies including the largest pharmaceutical company in Kyrgyzstan.

Hon. Ms. Ainuru Altybayeva Member of Parliament

Hon. Ms. Ainuru Altybayeva became a Member of Parliament for the first time in 2010 and was appointed as Chairperson of the democratic political party “Birimdik.” In the same year, she was elected as the Chairperson of the public union “Ayaldar Keneshi.” In 2012, she was appointed as the Chairperson of the Parliament’s Standing Committee on the Parliament’s Regulations and Ethics. From 2008 to 2010, Hon. Ms. Altybayeva worked in the Parliament as a Consultant. From 2007 to 2008, she served as Advisor to the Chair of the Social Security Foundation of the Kyrgyz Republic as well as Deputy Head of a local

division of the Foundation. Hon. Ms. Altybayeva is a State Counsellor of Civil Service of Third Class.

Hon. Mr. Junus uulu Altynbek Member of Parliament

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Hon. Mr. Dastan Bekeshev Member of Parliament

Hon. Mr. Dastan Bekeshev was first elected to the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan in 2010. At that time, he was 27 years old. Hon. Mr. Bekeshev was elected again to the Parliament in 2015. Currently, he serves as the Deputy Chair of the Parliament Standing Committee on Economic and Fiscal Policy. Previously, Hon. Mr. Bekeshev served as the Head of Unit at the Fiscal Policy Department at the Ministry of Economics. In 2008, he initiated the Public Foundation of Dastan Bekeshev. The Foundation implements different social projects to support visually challenged children, children with disabilities, and

indigent families. Hon. Mr. Bekeshev plays chess at a professional level.

Hon. Ms. Irina Karamushkina Member of Parliament Hon. Ms. Irina Karamushkina serves as Member of Parliament representing the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan. In 1982, she worked as a school teacher. From 2003 to 2010, Hon. Ms. Karamushkina worked at the Mayor’s office. She was first elected as to the Parliament in 2007 and was reelected in 2010 and 2016.

Hon. Ms. Aida Kasmalieva Member of Parliament Hon. Ms. Aida Kasmalieva serves as Member of Parliament representing the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan. She is a journalist by profession and has worked as a correspondent for Radio Azattyk, the Kyrgyz service of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

Hon. Mr. Abtandil Kulbarakov Member of Parliament Hon. Mr. Abtandil Kulbarakov was elected as Member of Parliament in 2015. Since 1982, Hon. Mr. Kulbarakov has worked various jobs in different factories. From 1979 to 1981, he served in the army. Hon. Mr. Kulbarakov is a member of the Social Democratic Party.

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Hon. Mrs. Gulkan Moldobekova Member of Parliament

Hon. Mrs. Gulkan Moldobekova serves as Member of Parliament and Member of the Committee on social issues, education, science, culture and healthcare. Hon. Mrs. Moldobekova began her career as a Software Engineer in higher educational institutions. From 1988 to 1992, she worked as an engineer of the Teaching Techniques Department of the Kyrgyz National University, and later as an engineer of the Department of Mathematics. From 1992 to 2001, she was a teacher of Physics and Computer Science at the Pedagogical University. Since 2010, Hon. Mrs.

Moldobekova has been a member of the political council of the Social Democratic Party.

Hon. Ms. Zhyldyz Musabekova Member of Parliament Hon. Ms. Zhyldyz Musabekova was first elected to the Parliament in 2015. She is a member of the Committee on International Affairs, Defence and Security. She is a party-list nominee of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, which is currently the ruling presidential party. Hon. Ms. Musabekova started her professional career in 1995 as a reporter of a weekly newspaper. From 2008 to 2012, she served as Chief Editor of several newspapers. In 2012, she was promoted to Department Head in the Bishkek City municipality.

Hon. Ms. Karamat Orozova Member of Parliament Hon. Ms. Karamat Orozova has served as Member of Parliament since 2010. She began her career as a teacher at the Lenin School in the village of Batken in 1979. She then worked as the 3rd and 1st Secretary of the Batken Regional Committee of the Komsomol, and as an instructor of the organizational department of the Batken Rayon Party Committee. Hon. Ms. Orozova also worked as the Director of the kindergarten "Teremok" of Batken rayon, Chief of the Department of Culture of the Batken Rayon, and Regional Representative of “For

Democracy and Civil Society." In more recent years, Hon. Ms. Orozova served as the Head of the Batken Oblast Administration, Acting Director of the State Agency for Social Security, and First Deputy of the Batken Oblast Administration.

Hon. Ms. Rada Tumanbaeva Member of Parliament Hon. Ms. Rada Tumanbaeva has served as Member of Parliament since October 2015, representing the party “Respublica-Ata Jurt.” She is a member of the Committee on Agrarian Policy, Water Resources, Environment and Regional Development of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament). Prior to her parliamentary role, Hon. Ms. Tumanbaeva worked as the Director of LLC “Argymak Cargo” and Deputy Director of LLC “Bai Trance.” In her earlier career, she has worked as an engineer and teacher at the Department of Food Technology at Osh

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Technological University, and a senior specialist at the Revenue and Analysis Department of the Republican Fund for Nature Protection under the Ministry of Ecology and Emergencies. Hon. Mr. Bakyt Ibraimzhanov Member of Parliament Hon. Ms. Eugenia Strokova Member of Parliament

Hon. Terogeldiyeva Member of Parliament

Maldives

Hon. Mr. Ahmed Thariq Member of Parliament

Hon. Mr. Ahmed Thariq serves as Member of Parliament representing the Mahibadhoo Constituency. He is the Co-founder of the Mahibadhoo Sports Club and has served as the President of the Football Association of Maldives since 2016. Previously, Hon. Mr. Thariq was the General Secretary and Captain of the Newradiant Sports Club. He has worked as an Operation Manager of Villa Technologies, the sister company of Villa Shipping and Trading Company, from 2010 to 2012. Hon. Mr. Thariq has received numerous awards including the President’s Medal for

achieving the highest ranked position in an international competition in 2013.

Nepal

Hon. Ms. Dina Mahalaxmi Upadhyay Member of Parliament Chairperson of NFPPD Co-chair of AFPPD Standing Committee on Investing in Youth

Hon. Ms. Dina Mahalaxmi Upadhyay is a Member of Parliament representing the Nepali Congress. She also serves as the State Minister of Water Resource, President of the Community and Women Development Center (CWDC), Chairperson of the National Forum of Parliamentarians for Population and Development (NFPPD), Nepal, and Co-Chair of the AFPPD Standing Committee on Investing in Youth.

Previously, she was a member of the Drafting Committee of Constitution on Fundamental Rights and Directive Principle. Hon. Ms. Upadhyay has a strong interest in social and development issues. She has extensive training on: HIV/AIDS/STI awareness; non-formal education; leadership development and women; skill management and market management; safe motherhood and reproductive health; and community development and sanitation.

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Hon. Dr. Bhishma Nath Adhikari Member of Parliament

Hon. Dr. Bhishma Nath Adhikari serves as Member of Parliament representing the Communist Party of Nepal (UML). He is also the General Secretary of the National Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (NFPPD), Nepal. Hon. Dr. Adhikari started his political career as a student activist in the democratic movement of Nepal in 1978. From 1989 to 1990, he was actively involved in the joint mass movement of the Nepalese Political Parties, which succeeded to bring the monarchy under the Nepalese constitution. During the 2005-2006 political movement, Hon. Dr.

Adhikari led a party committee responsible for the restoration of democracy in Nepal. He has also served as a member of the Constituent Assembly and was involved in re-drafting various laws.

Philippines Hon. Rep. Rodel Batocabe

Member of Parliament

Hon. Rep. Rodel Batocabe is a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines for the AKO BICOL Party-list. He is an active member of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD), which is a National Committee member of AFPPD. Since 2010, Hon. Rep. Batocabe has supported and championed many bills to promote human development and human rights, including reproductive health rights, in the Philippines. Hon. Rep. Batocabe is also a lawyer.

Sri Lanka

Hon. Mr. Dilan Perera Member of Parliament State Minister of Highways Hon. Mr. Dilan Perera serves as Member of Parliament representing the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) for the Badulla district and as State Minister of Highways. He is a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges, among others. Previously, Hon. Mr. Perera was a Member of the Provincial Council (1988 – 1993), the Opposition Leader of the Uva Provincial Council (1993 – 1994), Deputy Minister of Justice (2005 –

2007), and Deputy Minister of Public Administration (2009 – 2010).

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Tajikistan

Hon. Mrs. Gulbakhor Ashurova Member of Parliament

Hon. Mrs. Gulbakhor Ashurova was elected as Member of Parliament of the V Convocation in 2015. She is a member of the Committee on Social Issues, Family and Health Care. She is a medical doctor, an obstetrician and a gynaecologist. Driven by her strong interest in health, Hon. Mrs. Ashurova has been actively involved in the healthcare system legislation, focusing on reproductive health. From 1998 to 2007, she has worked as a gynaecologist in numerous national hospitals. In 2008, she became the Chief Specialist of the Organization of Health Services for Mothers and Children and Family Planning of

the Ministry of Health. Since January 2014, Hon. Mrs. Ashurova has served as the Director of the National Center for Reproductive Health of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Tajikistan.

Turkmenistan

Hon. Mr. Farhad Nurmetov Member of Parliament

Hon. Mr. Farhad Nurmetov serves as Member of Parliament. He is also a member of the Committee of Mejlis of Turkmenistan on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Policy.

Hon. Mr. Saparmyrat Ovganov Member of Parliament

Hon. Mr. Saparmyrat Ovganov serves as Member of Parliament and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of “Halys” LLC. He is also a member of the Committee of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan on Economic and Social Development.

Vietnam Hon. Mr. Dinh Cong Sy Member of Parliament

Hon. Mr. Dinh Cong Sy serves as Member of Parliament representing the Son La province during term XIII (2011-2016) and term XIV (2016-2021). He is also a Standing Member of the Committee of the Foreign Affairs of the National Assembly of Viet Nam, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam - Thailand Parliamentary Friendship Group, and Vice Chairman of the Group of Young MPs of the National Assembly of Viet Nam.

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II. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS (Alphabetical Order)

Armenia Ms. Armine Saghatelyan

Leading Specialist, Elderly Issues Division, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy

Ms. Armine Saghatelyan is the leading specialist of elderly people and people with disabilities issues at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Armenia.

Kyrgyzstan Hon. Mr. Sapar Isakov Head of the Executive Office of the President

Hon. Mr. Sapar Isakov serves as First Deputy Chief of the President’s Administration and Counselor of State of Civil Service of the 3rd class. He has the diplomatic rank of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic. In his former roles, he has served as the Head of Foreign Relations Department under the Government’s Office, Chief of Communication Service under the Central Agency of the Kyrgyz Republic for Development, Investments and

Innovations, and Head of Foreign Policy Department in the rank of Deputy Chief of the President’s Administration.

Dr. Talantbek Batyraliev Minister of Health

Dr. Talantbek Batyraliev is the current Minister of Health of Kyrgyzstan. In his earlier career, he has worked as a Senior Researcher at the Cardiology Center Kyrgyzstan. He also held the role of Director at the Cardiology Department of the Orta-Dogu Private Hospital and the Sani Konukoglu Medical Center in Turkey. Among his academia work, Dr. Batyraliev has taught at the Department of Cardiology at the Sanko University and the Cukurova University in Turkey. Dr. Batyraliev is a member of the European Society of Cardiology, the American College of

Cardiology, the Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventions, among others.

Mr. Amankulov Kanat Director, State Agency of Kyrgyzstan (Youth, Physical Culture and Sports) Mr. Amankulov Kanat was appointed Director of the State Agency of Kyrgyzstan for Youth Affairs, Physical Culture and Sports in 2016. He is also the Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee and President of the Track and Field Athletics Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic. Mr. Kanat is a lawyer by professor and Counselor of Justice Class I.

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Hon. Mr. Parhanov Mirlan Deputy Minister, State Agency of Kyrgyzstan (Youth, Physical Culture and Sports)

Tajikistan

Mrs. Dilnoza Ahmadzoda Vice Chairperson, Committee on Youth, Sport and Tourism Affairs Mrs. Dilnoza Ahmadzoda is the Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Youth, Sport and Tourism Affairs under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan. She began her career as a journalist for the city newspaper. Since 2011, Mrs. Ahmadzod has taught at the Faculty of Law of the Tajikistan State University of Business, Politics and Law as a Lecturer. In 2015, she worked as the Head of the Department for Tourism in the Committee on Youth, Sports and Tourism under the Government. She then became Head of the Department for Youth Affairs for the same

committee for two years, prior to her current appointment.

Mr. Nurullo Mahmadulloev Deputy Minister of Labor, Migration and Employment Mr. Nurullo Mahmadulloev is the Deputy Minister of Labor, Migration and Employment of the Republic of Tajikistan. Mr. Mahmadulloev has extensive working experience at the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment, assuming various roles from Head of the Legal Department to Director of the State Agency of Social Protection, Employment and Migration of Population. Mrs. Latofat Nazirova Deputy Minister of Education and Science

Mrs. Latofat Nazirova serves as the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan. She began her early career as a secondary school teacher of history and science. Mrs. Nazirova has also worked at the Movement of National Unity and Revival and the Tajik National University, serving as its Deputy Rector from 2008 to 2012. From 2012 to 2016, she has served as the Rector of the Republican Institute for Advanced Training and Retraining of education workers. Mrs. Marhabo Olimi First Deputy Chairperson, Committee of Women and Family Affairs Mrs. Marhabo Olimi is the First Deputy Chairperson of the Committee of Women and Family Affairs under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan. She began her career as a teacher, having taught Russian language at the Tajik State Pedagogical University from 1984 to 2006. She became the Head of the Russian Language Department of the same university from 2006 to 2008, and Vice Rector from 2008 to 2012. Following her career in academia, Mrs. Olimi became Deputy Chairman

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of the Committee of Women and Family Affairs under the Government in 2012 prior to her appointment as First Deputy Chairperson in 2015.

Mr. Muhamadjon Salimzoda Deputy Chairman, Committee on Emergency Situations and Civil Defense Mr. Muhamadjon Salimzoda is the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Emergency Situations and Civil Defense. Mr. Salimzoda began his military activities in the Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan as an Accountant in the courses on emergency situations. He was then drafted into military service as a course instructor. In his more recent roles, he was the Head of the Training and Education Department of the

Ministry of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense.

Mr. Shodmon Shokirov First Deputy Director of Agency for Statistics Mr. Shodmon Shokirov is the First Deputy Director for the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan. He began his career working for the Committee of Komsomol of the Dangarinsky area as the Assistant to the Secretary of the collective farm "Гайрат." He then worked as an economist of agriculture management for the Dangarinsky area, eventually serving as the Deputy Chief of the Department of Statistics from 1984 to 1990. In his more recent roles, Mr. Shokirov served as the Vice-President of the Dangarinsky area and

Chief of the Central Administrative Board of Agency on Statistics prior to his current appointment in 2011.

Dr. Saida Umarzoda First Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection Dr. Saida Umarzoda was appointed as the First Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection in 2016. Prior to that, she worked as the Deputy Director on Science in the Republic Scientific Oncology Center from 2007 to 2016. From 1998 to 2007, she was the Assistant Professor and Head of the Oncology Department in the Tajik State Medical University. Her primary interests are prevention of reproductive cancers, and maternal and reproductive health. Dr. Umarzoda is a member of the European School of Oncologists-Gynaecologists and a

member of the Association of Palliative Care in the Republic of Tajikistan.

III. RESOURCE PERSONS (Alphabetical Order)

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Ms. Damira Abakirova Health and Nutrition Officer, UNICEF Kyrgyzstan Ms. Damira Abakirova has worked as the Health and Nutrition Officer at UNICEF Kyrgyzstan since 2010. In this position, she is responsible for planning, implementation and reporting on the Health and Nutrition Programme. Prior to joining UNICEF in the Kyrgyz Republic, Ms. Abakirova, has nearly 10 years programme management experience at the Country Director level for international NGOs, European health organizations. She has undertaken field assignments and research in Germany, Balkans, Kazakhstan, South Africa and

several locations in Kyrgyzstan, with knowledge of other Central Eastern Europe countries and Commonwealth of Independent States.

Ms. Alana Armitage Regional Director, UNFPA EECARO Ms. Alana Armitage serves as the Regional Director of UNFPA EECARO. She has worked to promote women’s health, development and human rights for the past 25 years. She joined UNFPA in 1992, and has served as UNFPA Representative in Brazil, and Country Director for Argentina and Paraguay. Before her current assignment, Ms. Armitage was the Director of UNFPA’s Geneva office for seven years. She has worked closely with government policy makers, parliamentarians, non-governmental organizations and leaders from all sectors to champion

the health of women and girls, including in humanitarian and emergency settings. Prior to joining UNFPA, Ms. Armitage worked for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the United Nations Development Programme.

Ms. Marta Diavolova Regional Advisor, Strategic Partnerships, UNFPA

Ms. Marta Diavolova is a Partnerships Adviser at UNFPA Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia based in Istanbul, Turkey. Under her portfolio she is coordinating the work with strategic partners in the region, namely with parliamentarian networks, non-governmental organizations, faith- based organizations, UN agencies, and other development partners and regional structures. Before joining UNFPA’s Regional Office, Ms. Diavolova spent more than 15 years working in country offices with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNFPA.

Mr. Gulzhigit Ermatov Youth and Adolescent Development Officer, UNICEF Kyrgyzstan Mr. Gulzhigit Ermatov is a Program Officer at UNICEF in Kyrgyzstan. He has been managing programs on youth and adolescent development, as well as peace-building, for the last six years. Under the leadership of Mr. Ermatov, UNICEF’s youth programmes have been active across multiple areas including community youth work, employment, youth law, and the Sustainable Development Goals. His previous professional experience is also with the United Nations in Kyrgyzstan, in areas of poverty reduction, governance, and conflict prevention.

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Dr. Aziza Hamidova Assistant Representative, UNFPA Tajikistan

Dr. Aziza Hamidova is the Assistant Representative of UNFPA Tajikistan. She joined UNFPA in 2012 after her journey with several UN agencies in Tajikistan (WHO, UNDP, UN Women). She has also worked for almost seven years for USAID, where she successfully managed Tajikistan’s social transition portfolio.

Dr. Cholpon Koshoeva Kyrgyz National University

Ms. Yukie Mokuo Representative, UNICEF Kyrgyzstan Ms. Yukie Mokuo is the current Representative of UNICEF Kyrgyzstan. Prior to her current role, Ms. Mokuo served as the Representative of UNICEF Ukraine from 2009 to 2014 and UNICEF Tajikistan from 2005 to 2009. In this position, she was responsible for planning, coordination and evaluation of a broad range of UNICEF programmes, both developmental and humanitarian, benefiting the status of children and women in Tajikistan. Prior to joining UNICEF, Ms. Mokuo served as a Regional Development Planning Assistant with the Research Institute in

Japan, and as a Town Planner with Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer’s Town and Country Planning Department, in Suva, Fiji.

Mr. Naoki Nihei Peace and Development Advisor, UN Kyrgyzstan

As the Peace and Development Advisor, Mr. Naoki Nihei provides technical advisory for building national capacity of conflict prevention through UN agencies’ activities in Kyrgyzstan. For the past years, Mr. Nihei has been engaged in socio-economic development work in Central Asia through his previous careers at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan’s bilateral development agency, serving as Deputy Director for Central Asia and the Caucasus at Headquarters and as Deputy Chief for JICA Uzbekistan Mission. He served for official development assistance at JICA and UNDP for 15 years

in sectors of education, governance, energy, transport and other areas.

Dr. Meder Omurzakov Assistant Representative, UNFPA Kyrgyzstan

Dr. Meder Omurzakov has 18 years of professional experience in health and development programs. Dr. Omurzakov has been working in UNFPA since 2010 as Assistant Representative. Prior to joining UNFPA, he worked as a National Program Officer in the WHO country office, Program Manager in the US based NGO called “Project HOPE,” and as a surgeon at the National Surgical Center. Dr. Omurzakov holds a Medical Doctor degree from the Kyrgyz State Medical Institute and a Master's Degree in Health Administration from the University of North Carolina.

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Ms. Hadley Rose Consultant, USA Ms. Hadley Rose, J.D./LL.M., is an independent consultant providing training, research, and program support to international organizations and foreign civil society organizations. Her experience includes working with victims of the Khmer Rouge regime to ensure they receive compensation, training of Syrian lawyers to enhance the quality of human rights monitoring and reporting in Syria, and advocating for Rwandan women whose land rights are violated. Ms. Rose has also carried out a number of projects related to women’s rights, including

developing training curriculum and interactive materials for police and prosecutors on the violence against women law in Afghanistan, as well as conducting research, program evaluation, and advocacy on other key issues such as child marriage and human trafficking.

Mr. Lucio Valerio Sarandrea Chief Technical Advisor on Rule of Law, UNDP Kyrgyzstan

Mr. Lucio Valerio Sarandrea is the Chief Technical Adviser on Sustainable Development Goal 16 for UNDP Kyrgyzstan. Before joining the United Nations, he worked for the OSCE and the European Union Special Representative’s office. In all his assignments, he dedicated particular attention to the issues of gender equality, protection for children and access to justice. In his current capacity, he supported the drafting and implementation of the law against child marriages in the Kyrgyz Republic. Mr. Sarandrea currently teaches at the American University of Central Asia and is the author of numerous publications.

Mr. Pedro Pablo Villanueva Representative for Kazakhstan, UNFPA

Mr. Pedro Pablo Villanueva is the Representative for Kazakhstan at UNFPA. Previously, he has worked at UNFPA under various roles, including Special Advisor to the Asia-Pacific Regional Director; Deputy Regional Director of the Latin America and Caribbean Division; and Country Representative in various Latin American countries. Mr. Villanueva has also taught at the University of Havana as the Assistant and Associate Professor in the Management Science Department, and Full Professor and Head of the Socio-Economic Development Planning

Department. During this time, he has also acted as an Advisor to various national Ministries in Cuba, advising on Management, Organization and Planning.

Ms. Mieko Yabuta Representative, UNFPA Uzbekistan

Ms. Mieko Yabuta became Representative of UNFPA Uzbekistan and Country Director for Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in 2015. Ms. Yabuta comes with extensive experience at UNFPA, having served as the Representative in Morocco from 2011 to 2015, and in Laos from 2006 to 2011. She has also held various positions at UNFPA in the Headquarters and in country offices in Madagascar and Tanzania. Prior to her career with the UN, Ms. Yabuta worked in the private sector in Japan with companies such as IBM and Sony Corporation.

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H.E. Mr. Yoshihiro Yamamura Ambassador, Embassy of Japan to the Kyrgyz Republic H.E. Mr. Yoshihiro Yamamura is the Ambassador of Japan to the Kyrgyz Republic. In his earlier career, he was the Attaché at Embassy of Japan in the USSR in 1978 to 1982 and became the 2nd Secretary from 1987 to 1991. From 1991 to 1997, H.E. Mr. Yamamura worked at the Treaty Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. From 2001 to 2003, he served as the 1st Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Sweden and as Counsellor at Embassy of Japan in Ukraine from 2003 to 2005. In his more recent career, H.E. Mr. Yamamura was the Director of the

Department of Japanese-Russian Exchanges at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and served as the Consul General of Japan in St. Petersburg from 2012 to 2016.

IV. AFPPD SECRETARIAT

Ms. Mika Marumoto, Ph.D., Japan Executive Director, AFPPD

Ms. Mika Marumoto is the Executive Director of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD). Ms. Marumoto is currently working with AFPPD’s Standing Committees on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Investing in Youth, and Active Ageing. Prior to her current position, Ms. Marumoto was a special advisor for management and governance, serving on the AFPPD Task Force on Transparency, Accountability and Governance. She also worked as a development practitioner and strategy consultant for

organizations including the ADB, UNFPA, UNDP, the World Bank Group, and McKinsey & Company.