Deputy Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Kazakhstan

Milena Harizanova was appointed Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Kazakhstan in August 2026. She brings over 28 years of international experience in child protection, social policy reform, and programme management across Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and humanitarian settings. Throughout her career, she has led large-scale social transformation initiatives, strengthened child protection systems, and supported governments in advancing child rights and social welfare reforms.

Before joining UNICEF Kazakhstan, Ms. Harizanova served as Chief of Child Protection with the UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland, where she led UNICEF's child protection response for refugee children and families affected by the war in Ukraine. She provided strategic leadership for programmes focused on child protection systems strengthening, child protection in emergencies, mental health and psychosocial support, prevention of violence against children, and access to justice.

Previously, Ms. Harizanova held senior child protection leadership positions with UNICEF in Liberia and Georgia, providing strategic and technical guidance to governments and partners on child protection reforms, social service systems, justice for children, prevention of violence, and disability inclusion.

Between 2008 and 2018, she worked with UNICEF Bulgaria, where she played a leading role in advancing child welfare reforms, including the transition from institutional care to community-based services. She also contributed to refugee response efforts and provided technical support to UNICEF programmes in several countries.

Prior to joining UNICEF, Ms. Harizanova worked for Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Bulgaria as a Manager of the Project Management Unit for the World Bank Child Welfare Reform Project. The project led the establishment of the country's modern child protection system and community-based social services. She has also worked as a university lecturer, researcher, consultant, and civil society practitioner, contributing to social policy development and child rights advocacy.

Ms. Harizanova is a national of Bulgaria and holds a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from Sofia University. She is a native Bulgarian speaker, fluent in English, and has working knowledge of Russian and Spanish.