DILI, 1 april 2021 (TATOLI)- Newly appointed UNICEF Representative in Timor-Leste, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani, presented his letter of accreditation to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MNEC), Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno at a ceremony held at the MNEC today.
The new UNICEF Representative in Timor-Leste, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani said that it is a great privilege and honor to serve the children and their families of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
“I am looking forward to further deepening and strengthening UNICEF’s long-lasting partnership with the Government of Timor-Leste, and to working together to improve the wellbeing of children and their families in the country,” Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani, said during the ceremony.
Mr. Durarani congratulated the Government of Timor-Leste for the progress made toward the goal of full realization of all rights for every child since the country restored independence, and for its leadership in responding effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic since the past year.
“While significant progress has been made for the children and young people of Timor-Leste, a lot more needs to be done to ensure they realize their right to quality education, protection, healthcare, social services, and access to meaningful participation in decision making. As we plan and implement response and recovery programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF will continue to support the government in realizing these rights for children, and reimagining an even brighter future for children and young people, “He said.
Prior to joining UNICEF Timor-Leste, Mr. Durrani served as the Head of UNICEF’s South Korea Office.
He brings to this job twenty years of progressively responsible expertise in international development with UN agencies and international NGOs at the Headquarters level as well as in complex humanitarian, emergency and development settings in Asia and Africa.
With strong evidence-based technical programmatic knowledge, Mr. Durrani is experienced in leading diverse teams, and specializes in partnership-building and fundraising, project management, strategic planning, monitoring, evaluation and knowledge management.
A national of Pakistan, Mr. Durrani holds a Master’s Degree in International Development from the International Institute of Social Studies, Netherlands; Master’s in International Public Policy from the Central European University, Hungary; and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Bahria University, Pakistan. He is married, and has two children.
TATOLI