People in the Headlines

Photo by   UNFPA/Ephrem Cruz

From From UNFPA headquarters, news has come of the appointment of Mari Simonen to the position of Deputy Executive Director, External Relations, following the retirement of Ms. Imelda J.M. Henkin (see Headliners No. 310). Ms. Simonen, a native of Finland, was most recently the Director of UNFPA’s Technical Support Division. Prior to that, she was the Chief of the Office of the Executive Director, UNFPA. Before joining the United Nations in 1980, Ms. Simonen worked at the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a doctorate degree from that university in Education.
From Dhaka, Bangladesh, Partners in Population and Development has announced the appointment of Sangeet Harry Jooseery as Executive Director effective 23 January 2006. Among others, Mr. Jooseery holds a bachelor degree in Economics and a master’s degree in Sexual and Reproductive Health from the University of Edinburgh. During the past 15 years he has been working as a consultant for UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP and IPPF in several developing countries, besides being the Executive Director of the Mauritius Family Planning Association. He has received several international and national distinctions, and was lately the gold medalist at the International Symposium on Reproductive Health organized by IPPF in 2005.
The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) has announced the appointment of Mr. Yasuo Fukuda, MP, from Japan as Chairman effective November 2005. Among recent appointments, Mr. Fukuda held the positions of Minister of State, Chief Cabinet Secretary (under the Mori and Koizumi Cabinets) and Minister of State for Gender Equality.