Albania

UNDP Resident Representative

Gulden Turkoz-Cosslett is the UNDP Resident Representative in Albania. She assumed her duties as both UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator in October 2005. The Resident Representative (commonly referred to as ''ResRep'') is the UNDP Administrator's representative at the country level, and is head of the country office. The Resident Representative is ultimately responsible for the quality and sustainability of UNDP interventions, including UNDP policies and procedures.

Before arriving in Albania, Ms. Turkoz-Cosslett was Senior Programme Manager and Team Leader for Central Asia at the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (RBEC) at UNDP New York. Prior to that, she was Programme Specialist to the UNDP Administrator in New York and Portfolio Manger at the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Asia Office in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. She has also served as UNDP Liaison Officer for Habitat II Conference in Istanbul, Turkey; Programme Manager at UNOPS New York; and Assistant Resident Representative with UNDP Algeria.

She holds a master's degree in International Affairs (1985) with a concentration on development economics from Columbia University in New York.

» 2008 One UN Annual Report
» UN Albania Stocktaking Report 2008

Recent Statements from the UN Resident Coordinator

» 3 December 2009 Statement by UN Resident Coordinator at E-School Closing Ceremony

» 12 November 2009 Statement by UN Resident Coordinator at the launch of the SNC

» 24 October 2009 Statement by UN Resident Coordinator on UN Day

» 20 May 2009 Statement by UN Resident Coordinator at Alliance of Civilizations inauguration

» 20 May 2009 Statement by UN Resident Coordinator on Delivering as One UN in Albania

» 06 April 2009  Statement by UN Resident Coordinator at ILO 90th Anniversary event

» 08 April 2009  Statement by UN Resident Coordinator on International Roma Day

» 19 February 2009  Statement by UN Resident Coordinator at Launch of Culture Joint Programme

» 16 December 2008  Statement by UN Resident Coordinator at Global Compact

» 17 November 2008  Statement by UN Resident Coordinator at UNICEF meeting on Child Inclusion

» 14 November 2008  Statement by UN Resident Coordinator to Donor Round Table on Aid Effectiveness

» 24 October 2008  Statement by UN Resident Coordinator on UN Day

UNDP Country Director

Norimasa Shimomura joined UNDP Albania in February 2008 as Country Director. The UNDP Country Director is responsible for the day-to-day oversight and management of UNDP work under the strategic leadership of the UNDP Resident Representative. 

Prior to his arrival, he was UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, acting Deputy Resident Representative for UNDP Georgia, programme Manager for the Western Balkans at UNDP Headquarters in New York, and special assistant to the Director of the Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery. He has also served as an advisor on economic affairs for the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations.

Mr. Shimomura holds a master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University in New York, and a bachelor’s degree from Sophia University, Tokyo Japan.