Naomi Kitahara: New UNFPA Representative in Viet Nam

Naomi Kitahara, a Japanese national, has officially taken up duty as the UNFPA Representative in Viet Nam on 1 September 2019. Prior to the appointment in Viet Nam, she served as UNFPA Representative in Mongolia for more than five years, bringing more than 23 years of experience in international development, including UNFPA in Zambia, New York, South Africa, and Mongolia, UNDP in Mozambique and Malawi, and JICA for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"I very much look forward to working in Viet Nam to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights, empower women and young people and make sure they enjoy their own lives. I am fascinated by this country and its unique culture and history", says Naomi Kitahara.

At the courtesy meeting, Vice Minister Le Hoai Trung welcomed Ms. Naomi Kitahara to take up the new mission in Viet Nam and expressed the appreciations to the development efforts of the United Nations (UN) in general, and UNFPA in particular, including UNFPA's interventions in population dynamics, youth empowerment, gender equality, and prevention of and response to violence against women and girls.

The Vice Minister also emphasized the importance of cooperation between Viet Nam and UNFPA over the past forty years.

Ms. Naomi Kitahara highly appreciated Viet Nam's outstanding achievements in socio-economic development. Ms. Kitahara affirmed that UNFPA, together with other UN agencies in Viet Nam, would try its best to ensure effective support for Viet Nam.

Ms. Kitahara holds a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. She also holds a Master of Science in Demography with Distinction from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, UK.

Naomi Kitahara is replacing Ms. Astrid Bant who completed her term in Viet Nam on 31 August 2019.

UNFPA is the lead UN agency that expands the possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy sexual and reproductive lives, with the mission of delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA has been working in Viet Nam since 1977.