As the UN Resident Coordinator heading a UN Multi-Country Office that serves the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau, Ms. Simona Marinescu leads a UN Country Team of 12 UN agencies based in Samoa.

Ms. Marinescu has over 20 years of experience in international development coordination, economic diversification, and green growth, humanitarian and sustainable human development. She has held various positions, including  those of Chief Development Impact at UNDP Headquarters in New York; first Director of the UNDP International Centre for Private Sector in Development in Istanbul,Turkey; and Senior Economist, Programme Director for Economic Reforms in Baghdad, Iraq. 

She also held the position of UNDP Resident Representative to the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, and Tokelau (March 2018-August 2019).

Simona Marinescu is on the line with us from Samoa this morning.  Talofa lava Simona thank you very much for making time to chat with us this morning.