The United Nations Resident Coordinator Office
The Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) coordinates the efforts of the UN Country Team operating in Moldova to ensure provision of efficient and effective assistance to accelerate the country’s development in line with the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, so it becomes a prosperous and modern European country.
At the same time, the RCO leads the consultations with the Government to define and agree on the UN strategic response to the Government’s development priorities.
The UN RC in a country is the designated representative of the Secretary-General and aims to bring together different resident and non-resident UN agencies, funds and programmes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operational activities at a country level and committed to deliver shared results, including through the Republic of Moldova - United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027.
In the Republic of Moldova, the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator consists of a team of 12 local and international specialists, which is led by the Resident Coordinator, Yesim Oruc.
The Office covers five core functions:
- Strategic Planning
- Economics
- Partnerships and development finance
- Data and results management and reporting
- Communications and advocacy
The United Nations Resident Coordinator
Yesim Oruc was appointed as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Moldova, with the host Government’s approval, on 22 August 2024.
Ms. Oruc has more than 25 years of experience in international relations and sustainable development. Prior to her appointment in Moldova, she served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guyana and as UNDP’s Deputy Director in Washington, UNDP Country Director in Albania, and UNDP Resident Representative ai and Deputy Resident Representative in Romania.
Yesim holds a master’s degree in Middle Eastern studies from the American University in Cairo and a bachelor’s degree in political science and comparative governments from Yale University.
She is fluent in Turkish and English.
Head of Resident Coordinator's Office in Moldova - Milos Popovic
Economist in Moldova
Irina Guban, the economist in the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Moldova, leads the development and update of the Common Country Analysis (including substantial guidance on the CCA Dashboard content) that provides comprehensive overview of the country’s situation with a strong focus on leaving no one behind. Besides, Irina provides regular economic updates and tailored analyses to inform UN agencies of emergency and developmental challenges faced by the country. Irina led an analysis on country’s vulnerabilities during Covid-19 which supported decision making of the UN Socio-economic Task Force in Moldova. Another analysis on the impact of the war of Ukraine on trade and agriculture alerted UN country team on reduced accessibility and affordability of agricultural inputs, which enabled timely support to small farm holders and poor rural households to mitigate its impact. Additionally, as an observing member representing UN Moldova in the Economic Council under the Prime Minister, Irina works with the Government and business community on socio-economic policies and private sector support in the aftermath of Covid-19 pandemic and amidst the Ukraine war disruptions.
To respond to the Government’s needs in a coordinated manner, Irina convenes a network of economists development partners. She also contributes to streamlining the UN’s work on sustainable economic development and engages in joint project development.
Currently, Irina is engaged together with UN entities in drafting inputs for the EU Annual report on Moldova to support country’s EU candidate status given in 2022.
Partnerships Officer in Moldova
Veaceslav Palade, the Partnerships Officer in the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Moldova, helps the UN country team to plan and manage effective resource mobilization and partnership development to implement the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2023-2027) and support the Government in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
To foster new partnerships and improve joint resource mobilization, Veaceslav supports the UN country team by facilitating or updating specific tools and convening instruments, such as the UN country team Joint Resource Mobilization Strategy, the database of partners, a repository of best practices for innovative partnerships, as well as guidance on effective application for funding opportunities.
Veaceslav was instrumental in establishing strategic partnerships with the private sector and UN in Moldova, including one initiative to support social inclusion and increased interaction of the youth and elderly using mobile technologies. Another example was a partnership that enabled the introduction of family and child friendly policies in companies. He also plays an active role in several UN inter-agency thematic groups, as well as in developing portfolios and designing the UN joint programmes such as to address impact of the war in Ukraine, COVID-19 pandemic, and to support inclusion of refugees and diaspora in development by securing necessary funding and engaging various partners.
Communications Officer in Moldova
Cristina David is a full-time communications expert serving in the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Moldova. She focuses on boosting information about the UN team’s results and advocating for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Moldova. Cristina is proud of her work to conceptualize, coordinate and lead a campaign implemented by 16 UN agencies in support of people with disabilities in Moldova and their inclusion in society – the “Stand for Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities” campaign.
This large-scale campaign aimed to raise awareness, make a powerful call to action, and trigger a behavioral change for the inclusion of people with different types of disabilities. It reached 1.2 million people in just three weeks through social media, television, newsletters and engagement with influencers, and the UN Adolescents and Youth Advisory Panel, helping to promote these messages in schools and among youth networks.
Data Management and Results Reporting Officer in Moldova
Natalia Cojocaru is our Data Management and Results Reporting Officer. She supports the UN Moldova Country Team with developing of the annual joint workplan under the UNSDCF using a system-wide UN INFO platform, monitoring progress and reporting on its collective results. This also means facilitating partnership between UN Moldova and the National Bureau of Statistics towards official statistical data and SDGs monitoring in the country.
She is proud to have contributed alongside other RCO colleagues, to the development of a UN Joint Workplan dashboard and a Common Country Analysis Data dashboard to improve transparency, communication and accountability of the UNCT in Moldova, represented by over 20 UN agencies operating in the country.