IORA DIRECTORS AND EXPERTS

Rajib has been seconded from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh as a Director at the IORA Secretariat in Mauritius since 07 June 2021. Rajib is the first IORA Director to be seconded by Bangladesh.

Rajib leads the Secretariat’s Directorate for Institutional Arrangements and Broadening Engagement, along with the cross cutting issue - Women's Economic Empowerment. He also led Secretariat’s Public Diplomacy and Communication unit from June 2021 to January 2023.  .  

Prior to his appointment at the IORA Secretariat, Rajib served as First Secretary and Counsellor at the Bangladesh Embassy in Rome, Italy from April 2018 to May 2021. He looked after the issues of bilateral relations and consular affairs.

Rajib joined in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh in 2011. He worked at different Wings of the Ministry including the Public Diplomacy Wing, South East Asia Wing, West and Central Asia Wing and Maritime Affairs Unit in the capacities of Assistant Secretary and Senior Assistant Secretary.

Rajib holds Master of Public Policy in International Policy from The Australian National University, Canberra. He also holds Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) and Master’s in Mass Communication and Journalism from University of Dhaka. 

Amanda is a seconded from the Commonwealth of Australia and is the Director responsible for:
 

• Trade and Investment Facilitation 
• The Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum
• Maritime Safety and Security
• Disaster Risk Management 
• Climate Change (as the secretariat Focal Point)

Amanda has a had a 19-year career in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with previous postings to Jakarta (2015-19) and to Afghanistan (2010-12).  

Amanda has a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University and a Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership from Deakin University.

Rina is seconded from the Republic of Indonesia and has been posted as a Director at IORA Secretariat, Mauritius, since 8 August 2022. Rina is responsible for Blue Economy and Fisheries Management priority areas.

Rina has had a 16-year career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. Prior joining Secretariat, she was assigned as the Head of United Nations Security Council Task Force (2019-2020) and the Deputy Director for International Peace and Security (2021-2022) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia

Rina served as a Third Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations in New York (2009-2012) and a First Secretary to the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations, WTO and other International Organizations in Geneva (2016-2022).

She has worked extensively in multilateral issues and represented the Ministry at many United Nations and non-UN meetings and conferences on political and security topics.

Zelda Vrolick is seconded from South Africa to the IORA Secretariat since January 2023 and occupies the position of Director responsible for the Academic, Science and Technology Cooperation, and Tourism and Cultural Exchanges Priority Areas.

Zelda Vrolick has extensive experience in diplomacy and international relations and has previously served in the Directorate: BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). Prior experience includes serving as 1st Secretary (Political) at the South African Embassies in Senegal and Argentina and as 3rd Secretary (Political) at the South African Embassy in Sweden. She began her diplomatic career as an Assistant Foreign Service Officer in the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1994.

She holds a Masters’ Degree from the University of the Free State.

Alex Mpangala has been seconded by the Ministry of Finance and Planning of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania as the Director for Corporate Services of IORA.

Prior to his appointment, he has engaged in civil service and inter-governmental economic relations in diverse duties involving development finance, funding administration and fiscal budget management and appraisal. His delegated administrative experiences have been within the Government of Tanzania in the Ministry of Finance.

Mr. Alex Mpangala holds a Master of Science in Economics and Finance for Development (MSc Economist and Finance) in addition to a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Statistics. He has fourteen years professional experience.

Melyne Tarer has been seconded by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Government of France as International Expert to the IORA Secretariat since 12 September 2022. Melyne is the first international expert to the blue economy directorate of IORA Secretariat.

Melyne works with the Blue Economy team to strengthening of the Secretariat and the cooperation between member states, dialogue partners and international organisation. The main subjects she is in charge are seabed exploration and minerals, renewable energy. She brings with her analyst experience working on the integration and regional cooperation of the French Overseas territories, the marine development and marine preservation, humanitarian assistance disaster relief (HADR) development rescue, cooperation between civil security and military face the climate change, with diverse French Ministry and think-thank.

Melyne holds a Bachelor’s in International Relations, Master’s in international relations, Master’s in international strategy, prospective and geopolitics. She is a Geopolitical analyst and an international commercial engineer.