Flavia Pansieri was appointed Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in February 2008.  Immediately prior to joining UNV she served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Republic of Yemen (2004-2008).  She joined UNV with 25 years experience in development and has held a number of positions in UN agencies worldwide.

Ms. Pansieri started her UN career in 1983 with UNDP in China, where she was responsible for the UNV and TOKTEN programmes, as well as for projects in the energy sector.  She continued with UNDP in Bangladesh (1987-1990) and Myanmar (1990-1993), followed by her posting to the Lao PDR as Director of the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP).  In Laos, she oversaw various alternative development projects to replace opium production with commercial crops and other programmes to provide treatment and to prevent drug abuse.  From 1995 to 1998 she served at UNDCP Headquarters in Vienna assisting countries in the preparation of drug control master plans, and directing the planning and evaluation activities of UNDCP.

As the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in New York (1998-2001), she engaged in programming to promote gender equality.  Before taking up the UNDP position in Yemen, she was in charge of the Country Division of the Regional Bureau for Arab States in UNDP, providing guidance and support to programme activities in the Arab region.
 
Ms. Pansieri is an Italian national with a doctoral degree in Philosophy from Milan University, and another in Chinese language and literature from Venice University.  She is a fluent speaker of English, German, French, Spanish and Chinese.