Dr. Karina Nersesyan, UNFPA Representative in Moldova

Dr. Karina Nersesyan serves as UNFPA Representative for the Republic of Moldova starting from the 1st of March 2024. She brings with her a wealth of experience in international development, advocating for gender equality, women empowerment, evidence-based demographic policies, and use of data intelligence to reduce inequalities. Prior to her current role, she held the position of Deputy Regional Director for UNFPA Arab States Regional Office. Dr. Nersesyan has worked in over 20 countries across the globe, including her extensive tenure in the Middle East, and assignments throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. Throughout her career, Dr. Nersesyan has played a pivotal role in positioning youth and women’s rights and choices on the political agenda and promoting innovative approaches to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights into development policies. Across her roles with organizations such as Plan International USA, Creative Associates International and The Palladium Group, Dr. Nersesyan has spearheaded programmes for building community cohesion and social solidarity, delivering high-impact programming in fast-paced contexts. Dr. Nersesyan holds a postgraduate diploma in Development Economics, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration from the Haigazian University of Beirut. She is also a graduate of the Transformational Leadership Institute, Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA.

Natalia Plugaru

UNFPA Assistant Representative

Natalia Plugaru is a sustainable development professional with over fifteen years of experience in designing and implementing programmes focused on demographic resilience, gender equality, and youth empowerment. She currently serves as the Assistant Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in the Republic of Moldova, where she provides strategic leadership and oversees programmes in the areas of demographic resilience and data governance, gender-based violence prevention and response, sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as youth development. In this capacity, Ms. Plugaru coordinates UNFPA programmes that support the Government of the Republic of Moldova in aligning public policies with European integration priorities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Before joining UNFPA, Ms. Plugaru served as Vice President of the National Youth Council of Moldova, where she led national and regional advocacy initiatives to integrate youth priorities into the public policy agenda. Earlier in her career, she worked with civil society organizations supporting survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, and lectured in economics and management at the State University in Bălți. Ms. Plugaru holds a PhD in Management from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, Romania, and a Master’s Degree in Management from the Academy of Public Administration in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova.

Ludmila Sîrbu, Programme Lead, Adolescents and Youth 

Ludmila Sîrbu joined UNFPA with over fifteen years of experience in civil society organizations working on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and young people, including the most vulnerable. She began her career as a volunteer and peer educator in health education and later gained extensive experience working with the International Consortium on Medical Abortion and the Reproductive Health Training Center. As part of the Reproductive Health Training Center team, Ludmila initiated a new area of work — promoting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women with disabilities, one of the most excluded groups in the country. Ludmila holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova. Within UNFPA Moldova, she is responsible for the effective implementation of interventions in the areas of health education for young people, youth development, and participation.

Aliona Cristei, Programme Lead, Population and Development

Aliona Cristei holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Sociology from the Moldova State University and is currently a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Education Sciences, Psychology, Sociology, and Social Work at the same university. Aliona is a researcher with over ten years of experience in conducting sociological studies. Before joining UNFPA, she worked as a sociologist/researcher at the Institute for Public Policy, contributing to the evaluation and monitoring of social policy and developing data-driven analytical reports. She also served as a university lecturer at the Moldova State University from 2007 to 2019, teaching courses such as General Sociology, Migration and Social Consequences, and Qualitative Research Methods, among others. Aliona has participated in several research projects in collaboration with UNDP and UNICEF. In 2017, she became a member of the Pool of European Youth Researchers.

Eugenia Berzan, Programme Lead, Reproductive Health and Rights

Before joining the UNFPA Moldova team, Eugenia Berzan worked for more than seven years at the Ministry of Health as Head of the Directorate for External Relations and European Integration. Her portfolio focused on Health Diplomacy, protocol, development cooperation/official development assistance, and European integration. Eugenia also worked at the School of Public Health Management and the National Centre for Health Management in Chișinău, playing an essential role in developing the National Health Policy and drafting national health monitoring reports. She graduated from the Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Chișinău, specializing in family medicine, and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Jerusalem, Israel.

Ashereen Jessy Kanesan, Programme Lead, Social Norms and Gender-Based Violence 

Ashereen joins us with an incredibly impressive background, bringing over 8 years of specialized experience in GBV prevention and response. Her work spans diverse humanitarian and developmental contexts, including a wealth of expertise in program management, cross-cultural engagement, and the design and implementation of impactful GBV programs. Of note is her recent work with IOM in Pakistan and Indonesia, where she demonstrated a strong commitment to community-based interventions and social cohesion approaches – principles that are central to our work here in Moldova. With Moldova CO's diverse program portfolio, Ashereen's experience in leading GBV program development, fostering crucial partnerships with NGOs, and significantly enhancing inter-agency coordination comes as yet another critical set of skills. Her prior roles with UNHCR and the Women's Aid Organisation further underscore her profound dedication to supporting vulnerable populations.

Irina Lipcanu, Programme Lead, Public Communication

Irina Lipcanu has over ten years of professional experience in media, communication, and public relations within international organizations and UN and EU-funded projects. She has extensive expertise in social and behaviour change communication, and in advancing social, educational, and health reforms through strategic communication. Throughout her career, Irina has collaborated with various UN agencies to promote social inclusion, gender equality, and the human rights agenda. Her recent experience includes leading the UNFPA Moldova communication team, developing cross-border communication projects, and addressing emerging issues related to transforming gender and social norms, preventing technology gender-based violence, and combating disinformation. Previously, Irina provided high-level technical consultancy to the Ministry of Education, supporting the promotion of the vocational education and training reform agenda within EU-funded projects. She holds a Master’s Degree in Journalism and Communication from the Moldova State University. At UNFPA Moldova, Irina is responsible for managing advocacy, communication, and visibility initiatives to advance UNFPA’s mandate and impact.

Diana Șelaru, Operations Manager

Diana Șelaru has over fourteen years of experience in project administration and management. Before joining UNFPA, she worked for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Moldova on several projects, carrying out specialized tasks related to financial administration, procurement, human resources, and knowledge sharing with newly recruited project assistants. Diana holds a Master’s Degree in Financial and Banking Administration. At UNFPA, she is responsible for administration, including finance, procurement, human resources, security, UN common services, programme management, and office operations.