26 July 2023, Vientiane, Lao PDR - Dr Bakhtiyor Kadyrov presented his credentials today to H.E Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, as the new Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Lao PDR.
Dr Kadyrov, a national of Tajik, brings his over twenty years of international development and humanitarian response experience, including leadership roles in nurturing strategic partnerships and transforming challenges into opportunities for advancing the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action to Lao PDR.
Prior to his appointment, Dr Kadyrov served as UNFPA Representative a.i. in Pakistan, Officer-in-Charge of UNFPA Syria and the Head of the Puntland Field Office in Somalia. Dr Kadyrov’s competencies and expertise have been devoted to serving the needs and concerns of women, girls and young people.
During the meeting, UNFPA Representative, Mr. Bakhtiyor Kadyrov pledged continued support in accelerating implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) to support the government and the people of Lao PDR on the path to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals, graduating from ‘least developed country’ status by 2026 ,and achieving upper middle income country status by 2055.
He congratulated the government of Lao PDR for securing the National Population and Development Policy, National Youth Strategy and other ICPD related policies as part and parcel of the National ICPD25 Nairobi Summit commitments and the National Socio-Economic Development Plan. Mr. Bakhtiyor Kadyrov noted that 2024 will be an important year, considering the marking of 30 years of ICPD achievements and positioning the ICPD agenda beyond 2030.
Mr. Bakhtiyor Kadyrov expressed appreciation to the government of Lao PDR for prioritizing investments in adolescent girls and youth through the ‘Noi framework’ and ‘Noi ecosystem’.
“UNFPA will continue investing in a brighter future for Lao young people, women and men and innovative programmes on the way to achieving zero maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices. In this respect, we will continue scaling up our support to the ongoing national efforts health system strengthening, community-based interventions, gender-based violence prevention and response, as well as policy formulation and implementation, backed by evidence and data to be generated by the national civil registration and vital statistics system and the 2025 Census supported by UNFPA.” said Mr. Bakhtiyor Kadyrov
Dr Kadyrov holds a Medical Diploma specializing in General Medicine and a PhD in Medical Specialties from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and the Tajik Medical University Dissertation Council, respectively.
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UNFPA, the United Nations Sexual and reproductive health agency, works in over 150 countries, including Lao PDR, to achieve zero maternal deaths, zero unmet family planning needs, and zero gender-based violence.
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