Our Team in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Justine Coulson is the UNFPA Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Country Director for the Republic of Albania, Republic of Serbia, Republic of North Macedonia, and Director for Kosovo (UNSCR 1244).

She was previously the UNFPA Representative in China and Country Director for Mongolia and the Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. Before joining UNFPA, she worked for MSI Reproductive Choices as the Regional Director for South Asia and held country leadership positions in Nepal, Tanzania and Uganda. Prior to this, she worked as an adviser in the Poverty Research and Policy Centre at Save the Children UK.

Throughout her career, Justine has led complex programmes across Asia, Africa and Latin America to address child poverty, increase access to primary health care, prevent violence against women and create opportunities for young people. She is a passionate advocate for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and gender equality and women's empowerment.

Justine holds a PhD in Gender and Development from the University of Newcastle, UK and began her career as a Gender and Social Development Advisor at the university, where she conducted international research on a wide range of topics related to urban development and social inclusion.

Dr Erwin Cooreman (Belgium) graduated medicine at the University of Ghent in 1994. He joined the Belgian Red Cross working as a medical officer in a refugee camp in Burundi and specialized in tropical medicine with a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from the University of Liverpool (United Kingdom) in 1995.
After serving as Project Director of a Damien Foundation project in Bangladesh, he joined WHO in 2000 as Medical Officer for communicable diseases and was posted in Papua New Guinea. Subsequent WHO assignments, all in the areas of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and health systems, included WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, New Delhi (2004-2007), and the country offices for Bangladesh, Dhaka, and the Union of Myanmar. In 2015, he was appointed as Head of WHO’s Global Leprosy Programme.

He assumed the position of WHO Special Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina in September 2021.

Jo-Anne Bishop has 20 years of international experience, including senior management with the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and governmental and non-governmental institutions in a broad range of countries.
Prior to serving as Deputy Regional Director of the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, she held senior advisory positions with the UN Mission in Kosovo, OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liberia Governance Commission, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and Timor-Leste Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality. She headed and established the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and served as Chief of Party of the Canadian Governance Support Office in Afghanistan. She has led more than 15 global, regional and country-level strategic reviews and evaluations for a range of UN entities including UNFPA, UNDP, IOM and UN Women in Asia-Pacific, Europe and Central Asia aimed at strengthening performance and increasing the impact of the UN system.
Jo-Anne holds an MA Degree in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs in Canada and is the proud mother of two feminist children.

Ms. Laura Lungarotti (Italy) officially assumed the position of the Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Western Balkans and Chief of Mission of IOM Bosnia and Herzegovina in January 2021.
Ms. Lungarotti has over 17 years of experience working with IOM in Geneva, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Senegal/ West Africa and Mauritania. Prior to her posting in Sarajevo, Laura served as the Chief of Mission in Nouakchott, Mauritania.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science- International Relations from the University of Firenze, Italy and a Master’s Degree in Anthropology of Development from SOAS, University of London.

Lejla Tanovic has joined the ILO in 1997, and since 1998, she has served as ILO National Coordinator for BiH. Ms. Tanovic is responsible for a variety of national coordination duties, including liaison duties to support the Decent Work Technical Teams (DWT) in facilitating the strengthening and implementation of the Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs). She has 30 years of professional experience, including in international development cooperation, with wide knowledge in strategic planning and management, and International Labour Standards. Prior to joining the ILO, Ms. Tanovic worked with public companies on labour relations. Ms. Tanovic holds a Bachelor degree in Legal Science of the University of Sarajevo and the University of Trieste, and a Master in “State Management and Humanitarian Affairs” from the University of Sarajevo, Belgrade, and University of Rome “La Sapienza”.

Ms. Lucie Gagné assumed the position of the UNHCR Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina in February 2020. Ms. Gagné, a national of Canada, brings 25 years of experience in refugee, asylum, and migration policy as well as international humanitarian and human rights. Mr. Gagné joined UNHCR in 2004 as a Regional Resettlement Officer in its Regional Representation in Accra, Ghana (2004-2008). From 2008 to 2020 she served in various UNHCR operations in Africa (Kenya, Regional Representation for West Africa, Libya) and in the Middle East (Jordan). Prior to joining UNHCR, Ms. Gagne held key roles with the US Refugee Resettlement Program; served as Head of Office in Senegal (1998-2001) and then as a Deputy Director for Operations for West Africa and Central Africa, based in Ghana (2001-2003). She also worked as a Field Office Coordinator with a UNHCR partner in Senegal (1995-1997).

Marc joined UNICEF Bosnia and Herzegovina, coming from Mauritania where he was UNICEF Representative for four years. He also served as Representative in Algeria, as well as Deputy Representative in Indonesia and Syria. Prior to joining UNICEF, he worked for different organisations in research, evaluation, data generation, and management.

Marc brings experience from different countries and regions, working in both middle- and low-income countries, in development as well as humanitarian and emergency settings. He holds a master’s degree in political sciences and Middle East studies from Paris Institute of Political Sciences and a master in business management and a BA in economics from Paris Dauphine University.

National of France, Marc was born in the US and grew up in Italy, Egypt, France and England. Besides English and French, he speaks fluently Arabic and Italian. He is married and a father of two sons, both university students.

Renaud Meyer started his assignment as UNDP Resident Representative to Bosnia Herzegovina in July 2024, coming from Thailand where he was the UNDP Resident Representative since March 2019.

Prior to that, Renaud served as UNDP Country Director in Nepal from January 2015 to March 2019, Senior Deputy Country Director for UNDP Afghanistan from November 2012 to December 2014, UNDP Country Director in the Philippines from August 2008 to October 2012 and Deputy Country Director of UNDP China from August 2004 till August 2008.

Before serving UNDP in Asia, Renaud served four years in Headquarters as the Special Assistant to the UNDP Associate Administrator in the Executive Office in New York from 2002 to 2004 and as Special Assistant to the Director of the Bureau for Development Policy starting in 2000.

Renaud started his UNDP career as a Programme Officer (JPO) in Lebanon in 1998. Before joining the United Nations, Renaud Meyer worked in Tunisia for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A French citizen, Renaud Meyer holds a Master’s in International Relations and Development Studies from the University of Strasbourg and graduated from the Institut D’Etudes Politiques of Strasbourg. He also completed a one-year programme of studies at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., U.S.A.

Sinisa is Head of the Antenna in Sarajevo of the Regional Bureau for science and Culture in Europe and responsible for the implementation of UNESCO’s core programmes and activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also supports the development and implementation of programmes and participation in UN development/cooperation frameworks in Serbia and Montenegro, as well as in other countries of the region, as required. He has an academic background in civil engineering. He joined UNESCO in 1995.

Mr. Pijunovic was born in Zavidovići on 29 March, 1970. He holds a Bachelor of Economics, Faculty of Economy, from the University of Banja Luka. He was a Team Leader with CARE International (1997-2000), and then Director of the Economics Department with Mercy Corps Scotland (2000 - 2003). He was then senior programming officer at the European Union Delegation to BiH, Cross Border and Agriculture Programme (2004-2011), and is presently the National Programme Coordinator at UN’s FAO, a role he began in 2012.