Tashkent, Uzbekistan — 30 July 2024 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Akiko Fujii as the new Resident Representative in Uzbekistan.

Ms. Fujii has over 25 years of experience with UNDP, having served in various leadership roles globally. Before her assignment in Uzbekistan, she was the Resident Representative in the Maldives and the Deputy Resident Representative in Vietnam, the Fiji Multi-Country Office (covering Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu), and Jamaica. Her extensive career with UNDP also includes significant roles in Sudan, Tokyo, and Pakistan.

Ms. Fujii is deeply committed to the United Nations’ sustainable development agenda. As a senior manager, she has been actively involved in addressing economic and social issues related to climate change, managing large-scale humanitarian assistance in crisis and conflict situations, and advising on governance systems to achieve fair and sustainable human development for all.

Before her career journey with UNDP, Ms. Fujii worked with various development organizations, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Vienna, Austria, and a community development NGO in Kyoto, Japan. Her commitment to development began early: while still a student, she volunteered to help victims of the Kobe Great Earthquake in 1995. 

Ms. Fujii holds Master’s degrees in Gender and Development from Sussex University, UK, and in Human and Environmental Studies from Kyoto University, Japan. 

Ms Fujii looks forward to working in her new role in Uzbekistan towards fair sustainable and inclusive development for all.

For more information, please contact:

Shakhnoza Zafari, Communication Analyst
UNDP in Uzbekistan 
Email: shakhnoza.zafari@undp.org
Phone: +998935547895