Expert Roster
| Expert Name | Functional Title | Institution | Areas of Expertise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumaya Almajthoob | Associate Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Program manager and researcher. Areas of expertise include social policy and disability inclusion. I also have experience with transitional justice and post-conflict peacebuilding. Master of Arts in Middle East Studies The George Washington University sumaya.almajthoob@un.org Governance, Institutional Development, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingCommunicationProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planning Disability, Inequality |
| Nathaniel Martin | Associate Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth Nathaniel Martin is an Associate Economic Affairs Officer in the Shared Economic Prosperity Cluster at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. His research focuses on debt and fiscal policy in the Arab Region. He assisted with developing the Social Expenditure Monitor tool and contributed to the report on Social Expenditure Monitor for Arab States, jointly produced by ESCWA, UNDP, and UNICEF. Nathaniel has previous experience as an Associate Economist at Moody's Analytics, focusing on econometric forecasting. Nathaniel holds a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Economics from Cornell University. His technical skills include Python, R, SQL, and Stata proficiency, and he speaks English and French. Debt Management, Economic Modeling, Fiscal Management & Policies Bachelor's of Arts in Mathematics and Economics Cornell University nathaniel.martin@un.org Data analysisProgrammingProject management Social Expenditure Monitor for Arab States: Toward making budgets more equitable, efficient and effective to achieve the SDGs Statistics |
| Tarek Sadek | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 13: Climate Action Tarek Sadek is a First Economic Affairs officer (Water Resources and Climate Change) in the Sustainable Development and Productivity Division, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), United Nations, Beirut, Lebanon since May 2007. Mr. Sadek has 25 years of experience in the field of climate change, environmental engineering, water resources management and planning, hydrogeology, water quality and environmental aspects. He has more than 20 official publications in books, international journals and conferences in the field of water resources and environmental management. He holds a Doctorate in Environmental Engineering from the University of Melbourne, Australia in 1998. He completed his Masters in Hydrology from the University College Galway (UCG), Galway, Republic of Ireland, in 1992 and B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Cairo University in 1988. From 1999 to 2006, he was the Director of National Water Resources Plan (NWRP) project – Planning Sector, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI), Egypt PH.D. Melbourne University sadekt@un.org Climate Change, Natural Resource Scarcity Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject managementTeam management |
| Anton Bjork | Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty I have spent most of the last decade working at UN ESCWA (first as an IC/consultant and more recenly as a Social Affairs Officer), mainly in the domain of social protection but also with e.g. disability matters. My interests outside of work include exercising, reading, and learnig languages. Master of Arts (MA) in International Studies Aarhus University bjork1@un.org Data analysisVNR Preparations/Support Social Protection Reform in Arab CountriesTargeted Social Protection in Arab Countries before and during the Covid-19 CrisisDisability in the Arab Region 2018New report: Strengthening Social Protection for Persons with Disabilities in Arab Countries Aging, Disability, Inequality, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection |
| Sara Salman | Population Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Sara Salman is a public policy specialist, with particular expertise in ageing, migration, and democratic governance in the Arab region. She has extensive experience in institutional strengthening, developing innovative knowledge products, and managing international projects. Dr. Salman has worked with a number of international organizations including the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA). She currently leads UNESCWA's work on ageing and migration in the region. Sara received her PhD degree from American University, Washington D.C. in 2017. Sara is fluent in Arabic and English. PhD Political ScienceMasters International Affairs American UniversityLebanese American Univeristy salmans@un.org Governance, Institutional Development Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementStrategic planningTeam management Aging, Population Dynamics & Migration |
| Valentina Gullo | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Ms. Valentina Gullo (Ph.D.) is an Economic Affairs Officer at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). She is an expert in policy-oriented empirical research on development financing, focusing on tax leakages, dirty money flows, offshore financial centers, and corruption. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from Sapienza University. Before joining the UN, Ms. Gullo worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Sussex, as a researcher at University of Rome Tor Vergata and as a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant at Luiss Guido Carli University. Economic Modeling, Finance for Development PhD in Methods and Models for Economics and FinanceMaster degree in International Relations Sapienza University of RomeSapienza University of Rome valentina.gullo@un.org CommunicationData analysisTeam management Financial transparency and anomalous portfolio investment flows: A gravity analysisArab policy choices and financing opportunities in a new world tax order |
| Sean Ratka | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy Sean Ratka is an Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (UN-ESCWA). His scope of work includes the sustainable energy transition within the Arab Region and the role of emerging digital tools. Before joining ESCWA, he worked as an Associate Programme Officer at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), focusing on the role of power sector digitalisation, particularly blockchain technology, as part of the ongoing sustainable energy transformation. Previously, he worked on transboundary power trade with the Energy Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). Before this, he worked in solar PV market intelligence for OCI, one of South Korea’s largest private-sector energy firms. International Commerce (MA) Korea University Graduate School of International Studies ratka@un.org Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management CommunicationProject managementStrategic planning BLOCKCHAIN INNOVATION LANDSCAPE BRIEFARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND BIG DATA INNOVATION LANDSCAPE BRIEFINTERNET OF THINGS INNOVATION LANDSCAPE BRIEF |
| Maria Pilar Ouro Paz | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 13: Climate Action Economic Affairs Officer in ESCWA, specialized in the economics of food security, agriculture & the environment. Over 6 years of experience in research and development roles in international organizations, NGOs, and the public sector. Passionate about the use of data to improve public policies and development programs. Previous to ESCWA, Pilar Ouro worked for almost 3 years at the World Bank in Nairobi, contributing to the Impact Evaluation of World Bank-funded agricultural projects in Kenya, mainly related to the use of technologies to increase agricultural productivity and climate change adaptation. In previous roles, she also worked for Innovations for Poverty Action in Panama, the International Labor Organization, or the Embassy of Spain in Vietnam. Pilar Ouro studies International Business Economics in the University Pompeu Fabra and holds a Masters degree in International Trade by the University Menendez Pelayo. Behavioral Economics, Economic Modeling International EconomicsInternational Trade Pompeu FabraMenendez Pelayo maria.ouropaz@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProgrammingProject management Statistics |
| Omar Hakouz | Senior Statistician | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Experienced Regional Advisor with a demonstrated history of working with international agencies. Skilled in Survey Research, Survey Methodology, Economic Indicators, Indices, and Building Surveying. long experiance in National accounts and construction of Input Output Tables with a Bachelor of Arts - BA focused in Economics from Yarmouk University. B.a Yarmuk University hakouzo@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject management Statistics |
| Mehtap Ipek DEDEOGLU | Dr. | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality I am a statistician with a master’s degree in Economics, and PhD in Administrative Sciences. Since February 2022 I have been working at UN ESCWA department of Statistics, Information Society and Technology as an associate statistician. My main responsibilities are working on population censuses and CRVS project for Arab countries. I have been selected as the PSA level B expert and my name was inserted into the Gender Statistics Roster in at FAO (Office of Chief Statistician (OCS)) for two years in 2021. Before participating ESCWA, I worked as an expert at the Turkish Statistical Institute for 24 years. 16 of which I spent in the Short-Term Business Statistics Department between 2007-2022. I worked in the Social Statistics Department between 1999-2004. I subsequently joined the Labor Force Statistics team as team leader, a post I occupied for two years. I have a published book on poverty in Turkish and published article on women's poverty. The effects of Social Assistance on Poverty in Türkiye. Published in Turkish (publisher Orion Kitabevi ISBN 978-625-8307-32-0, 2022, ANKARA) Published Article DEDEOGLU, M. Ipek, KALE, H. Tancan, “Structure of Turkish Labor Market and Women's Poverty”, Journal of Social Security World, no:101, pp. 120-146, March-April 2021, Ankara. I have experience in the capacity development programme of ESCWA member countries and SDG indicators. I have experience analyzing data, preparing report, designing questionnaires and survey field studies related to child labour, household labour force, social statistics, short-term industrial statistics, population censuses, poverty and CRVS. I also have strong computer skills that include very efficient use of SAS, and Microsoft Office. Industrial Development PhD degree in Political Science and Public AdministrationMaster Degree in Economics Ankara UniversityHacettepe University ipek.dedeoglu@un.org Capacity buildingData analysis The Effects of Social Assistance on Poverty in Türkiye. Published in Turkish (Ankara, 2022 )“Structure of Turkish Labor Market and Women's Poverty”, Journal of Social Security World, no:101, pp. 120-146, March-April 2021, Ankara. Hunger, Inequality, Population Dynamics & Migration, Poverty Reduction Knowledge Economy, Statistics |
| Sara Hess | Associate Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Sara Hess is an Associate Economic Affairs Officer with the UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia in Beirut where she works in the Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability Cluster, primarily on issues related to water scarcity in the Arab Region. Previously, she was an Associate Economic Affairs Officer with the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in the subregional headquarters in Mexico City. Prior to joining the UN, she was a Research Director at Harvard Business School and a Private Sector Development Consultant for the World Bank. She holds a master's in city and regional planning with a focus on regional economic development from MIT and a bachelor's in economic from Wellesley College. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies, Regional Integration and Mobility Masters of City PlanningBachelor of Arts in Economics Massachusetts Institute of Technology Wellesley College sara.hess@un.org Data analysisProject managementStrategic planning |
| Yarob Badr | Regional Advisor on Transport and Logistics | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Dr. Yarob Badr is currently the Regional Advisor on Transport and Logistics in ESCWA since September 2014. He is coordinating ESCWA activities to formulate a regional strategic vision for the development of future multimodal transport that would improve vital connectivity and regional integration between the Arab countries and the rest of the world. Born in Damascus on June 1959, Yarob Badr obtained a PhD in Transport sciences from the French National School of Bridges and Roads (ENPC-Paris) in 1991. He worked as Assistant professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Tishreen University in Lattakia Syria, where he participated to the implementation of specialized curricula on Transport Engineering and planning. He was appointed as Minister of Transport in Syria between 2006 and 2011. During his mandate, Public Private Partnership (PPP) operations were implemented in Tartous and Lattakia ports container terminals, with the activation of PPP unit in the Syrian Ministry of Transports and the formulation of PPP long term strategy to attract private investments in all sectors of transport. Also, under his mandate the number of traffic fatalities in Syria dropped by 24% between 2008 and 2010. Regional Integration and Mobility PhD Ecole Des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC, Paris) badr3@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planning Urban Development |
| Nadya Khalife | Regional Advisor for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Nadya Khalife serves as the regional gender equality advisor at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA) where she technically supports and advises national gender machineries and other national institutions on efforts to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment. Prior to joining ESCWA, she served as a Women, Peace and Security Specialist at UN Women Lebanon, providing technical support and assistance to the Government of Lebanon on the development and implementation of Lebanon’s National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325. She developed the organization’s women, peace and security (WPS) program and led UN coordination efforts on WPS. Nadya has extensive expertise in the Middle East and North Africa region and has undertaken research in numerous countries on violence against women, harmful traditional practices, and personal status laws. Her work on female genital mutilation contributed to the passage of a law on family violence in Iraqi Kurdistan and was featured in a 2013 documentary produced by The Guardian and BBC Arabic. She is also a contributing author to The Unfinished Revolution: Voices from the Global Fight for Women’s Rights. Nadya holds an M.A. in Gender and Cultural Studies from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts and B.A. in International Studies from Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Virginia. M.A. in Gender and Cultural StudiesB.A. in International Relations and minor in French Simmons UniversityVirginia Wesleyan College nadya.khalife@un.org Human Rights, Institutional Development, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Women’s Engagement in Security in the Arab World: Reconstructing Security from a Gender Perspective, unpublished, April 2020 How Come You Allow Little Girls to Be Married: Child Marriage in YemenThey Took Me and Told Me Nothing: Female Genital Mutilation in Iraqi KurdistanGender Justice and the Law Reports (national reports and index; 2018) Inequality, Social Protection |
| AHMED MOUMMI | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality I’m currently Economic Affairs Officer in the Shared Economic Prosperity Cluster of ESCWA. I’m the Coordinator of the flagship Report of ESCWA titled, the Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Arab Region, as many other projects related to economic modelling and macroeconomic prospects for the Arab region Prior to this appointment, I have accumulated over than twenty-four years of experience, as a Head of Research in CIDEMA, France; Senior Economist in the African Development Bank Group and Associate Professor in the University of Mascara, Algeria as well as Director of the Center of Studies on Management of Local collectivities and local Development, Algeria Economic Modeling, Fiscal Management & Policies DoctorateMaster CERDI, France- University of Tlemcen, AlgeriaUniversity of Mascara- Algeria ahmed.moummi@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProject management Energy subsidy reform in Arab countries: a macro and micro assessments for Tunisia, GTAPFiscal Policy, Income Redistribution and Poverty Reduction: Evidence from Tunisia, 2018Inclusive Growth in Africa: Policies, Practice, and Lessons Learnt”, Routledge African Studies, London, UK |
| Bryony Steyn | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Bryony is currently an Economic Affairs Officer at ESCWA, where she provides substantive and coordination support to the Cluster Leader. Bryony is leading the preparations for the Intergovernmental Meeting for the 14th Committee on Social Development (convened between ESCWA and the Ministers of Social Development across the 20 Member States) by providing substantive papers for discussion and by coordinating logistics. Bryony is also supporting the upcoming Arab Forum for Equality by drafting the final chapter of the flagship publication, leading the development of an online policy portal that showcases policies that have successfully reduced inequality in the Arab region, and by general coordination support. Before ESCWA, Bryony was the Economist in the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Lesotho, where she was responsible for producing the Common Country Analysis, providing economic analysis and advice to the Resident Coordinator and UN Country Team, supporting the Government of Lesotho in their COVID-19 response and economic recovery plan, and coordinating the relationship between the Government of Lesotho and UN agencies, and coordinating joint UN programmes. Previously, Bryony worked at the East African Development Bank as the Economist in the Director General’s Office, where she provided economic analysis and wrote speeches for the Director General and managed programmes worth US$ 70 million to expand access to finance for rural and agricultural populations and for biodiversity projects in Kenya and Uganda. At EADB, Bryony sat on the Steering Committee for the UNFCCC RCC Kampala (which assists 26 African countries to build their capacities under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement). Bryony also worked at the Bank of Uganda as the Head of Global Economic Developments, and at the Bank of England as a Research Assistant. Bryony has a MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge and a first-class BSc in Economics from Sheffield University. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies MPhil Development StudiesBSc Economics with employment experience Cambridge UniversitySheffield University bryony.steyn@un.org Agriculture, Climate Change, Food Security Strategic planning Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection |
| Julien Le Tellier | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 14: Life Below Water, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Julien Le Tellier has joined ESCWA Cluster 5 (2030 Agenda and SDG Coordinator), as Economic Affairs Officer, in October 2022. That position follows his 14-year engagement in the UNEP/Mediterranean Action Plan – Barcelona Convention Secretariat, as Programme Officer in Plan Bleu Regional Activity Centre in Marseille, France (2009–2017) and as Socio-Economic Affairs Officer at the UNEP/MAP Coordinating Unit in Athens, Greece (2017–2022). He was the substantive officer for the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development, the multi-stakeholder advisory body of the Parties to the Barcelona Convention, gathering both government representatives and stakeholders. Julien had a key role in drafting and supporting the implementation of and in monitoring the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development – a regional translation of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs –, in contributing to assessment reports (State of the Environment and Development in the Mediterranean – SoED 2020, First Mediterranean Assessment Report of the Mediterranean experts on Climate and Environmental Changes – MedECC MAR1), in building Science-Policy Interfaces, and in putting in motion flagship initiatives: Environment Friendly City Award; Med Urban Tools; online repository of best practices on waste management; Environmental Governance and Public Participation in Decision-Making; Simplified Peer Review Mechanism of National Strategies for Sustainable Development. Julien brings a substantial background on policy-oriented research projects aiming to bridge the gap between scientists and decision-makers through participatory approaches. He supervised groups of experts and local studies in projects on Sustainable Tourism, testing an innovative methodology to assess the environmental, social and economic footprint of tourism activities in Mediterranean destinations. He also supervised case studies on Urban Mobility in North African and Middle East agglomerations. Julien holds a PhD (2006) from Aix-Marseille University, France, and a post-PhD (2007) in Rabat, Morocco. He authored scientific publications, reports, chapters of reports, and two books. He is married and has three children. Regional Integration and Mobility PhDPost-PhD Aix-Marseille University, FranceFrench Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education julien.letellier@un.org Circular Economy, Climate Change, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Governance Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support TBC Education, Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Population Dynamics & Migration, Poverty Reduction, Youth Empowerment SDG Monitoring Municipal Development, Smart Cities, Urban Development |
| Carol Chouchani Cherfane | Cluster Leader, Climate Change and Natural Resources Sustainability Cluster | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action Carol Chouchani Cherfane directs the Arab Centre for Climate Change Policies and leads the Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability Cluster at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in Beirut. Her work supports regional initiatives, inter-governmental processes and inter-agency partnerships on water, energy and food security under a changing climate in support of sustainable development and internationally agreed development goals. This includes the Regional Initiative for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources and Socio-Economic Vulnerability in the Arab Region (RICCAR), the cross-sectoral project on Climate Resilience through Regional Cooperation, and other initiatives focused on climate finance and transboundary water resources. She previously led teams responsible for water resources management, private sector development, and technology for enterprise development. Her graduate degree and doctoral studies at the Fletcher School for Law and Diplomacy (Boston) and undergraduate degree from Georgetown University (Washington, DC) are complemented by 25 years of experience working in the Arab and Mediterranean regions on international environmental and natural resource policies for the United Nations, the Harvard Institute for International Development and the World Bank. BSFSMALD Georgetown University (School of Foreign Service)Tufts University (Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy) chouchanicherfane@un.org Circular Economy, Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management, Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Capacity buildingCommunicationProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Arab Climate Assessment ReportInventory on Share Water Resources in Western AsiaArab Chapters in World Water Development Reportss |
| Mohamad Nawar Al-Awa | Regional Adviser on Technology for Development | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Dr. Mohamad Nawar Al-Awa is the Regional Advisor on Technology for Development at UN-ESCWA. He has more than 25 years of professional, academic and research experience. Dr. Al-Awa has been working on digital technologies for sustainable development, including digital transformation policies, e-services, innovation and new technologies and the related capacity building issues for several years. He provided multiple advisory services and conducted numerous capacity building workshops in ESCWA member states. Previously, he served as an advisor to UNDP-Government Service Reform and modernization project (UNDP-GSR) in Syria and as consultant to International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In Academia, Dr. Al-Awa was as Associate Professor at the faculty of Information Technology engineering at Damascus University. He served as Dean of the faculty for four years (2005-2009), and Editor-in-Chief of Damascus University Journal for Engineering Sciences for four years (2009-2013). He lectured in several public and private universities. Dr. Al-Awa has a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble (INPG) in France (1995), a Master degree (DEA: Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies) in Electronic Systems from INPG-France (1991), and an Computer Engineering degree from Higher Engineering School for Electronics and Communications of Grenoble (ENSERG) in France (1991). He has multiple research papers, published in national and international Journals, as well as several textbooks in Technology development, Computer Systems, and Information and Communication Technology. PhD in Computer EngineeringEngineering Diploma (Computer Systems) Institut National Polytechnique de GrenobleInstitut National Polytechnique de Grenoble alawa@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementStrategic planning Government Electronic and Mobile Service (GEMS) maturity reportESCWA Template for Digital Accessibility Policies Big Data, Digital Transformation, Emerging Technologies, Knowledge Economy |
| Oussama Safa | Section Chief | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Oussama Safa is currently the Chief of the Social Justice Section at the UN ESCWA in Beirut, where he focuses on issues of social and economic inequality; political economy of the Arab world, citizen participation in policymaking, youth engagement, and social justice. His work encompasses research for innovative policy solutions, technical cooperation and assistance to member States, the development of cutting-edge capacity building material and policy advice on issues of equality, equity, rights and participation. Mr. Safa is widely published on social development, inequality, governance and peacebuilding. Prior to this, he was General Director of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, a Beirut-based think-tank working on public policies, governance and development in Lebanon and the Middle East and North Africa Region. He has vast experience in research, advocacy and capacity building; he was also a lecturer at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa, the Lebanese University and the Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut . Mr. Safa holds graduate degrees in international affairs and international development from The American University, Washington, DC and an undergraduate in political science from the American University of Beirut. Master of Arts in International Development The American University, Washington, DC safao@un.org Governance, Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingCommunicationProject managementStrategic planningTeam management Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Social Protection, Youth Empowerment |
| Wafa Aboul Hosn | Chief of Economic Statistics Section | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Detains a Ph.D. in Applied Statistics and Environmental Sciences from McGill University, Canada. a M. Sc. in Ecology from Université de Montréal, Canada. Areas of expertise cover economic statistics, and environment and energy statistics, national accounts, environmental-economic accounting, sustainable development indicators, data management and analysis. Leading the work programme on economic and environment statistics in ESCWA since 2012, developing projects, providing technical assistance and capacity building to member countries in strengthening and modernizing their statistical systems, implementing international statistical standards, and monitoring the progress in the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Worked in academia and research in environmental sciences and applied statistics, from 1991 until 2004, in several universities and colleges in Canada. Led Statikron Consulting, from 1997 to 2004 on statistical analysis and environmental impact assessment for the Canadian Government and research and private institutions. Member of the London Group and the United Nations Committee on Environmental Economic Accounting and the Oslo Group on Energy Statistics, and the Environmetrics Society. Ph.D. in Applied Statistics Mcgill University aboulhosn@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisResource mobilizationStrategic planning Quantitative analysis and modelling of the behavioural dynamics of Salvelinus fontinalisHandling and stocking-density effects on growth rhythms Statistics |
| Marco Schaefer | Social Protection Project Coordinator / Senior Social Protection Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality Summary: International Social Protection and Public Health expert with more than 18 years of work experience in Europe, Southern-Africa, South East Asia, and Middle-East & North-Africa. Key qualifications relate to design, implementation, and organizational development of social protection policies and programmes. Previous work experiences include bilateral (BMZ/GIZ), multilateral (ILO, ESCWA) and IFIs (ADB, WB), at HQ and field operations. In detail: I started my career in as a social policy advisor for Germany's Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Subsequently, I became a team leader for social assistance TC within Germany's social protection programme for Indonesia (GIZ). in 2016 I joint the WB's Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice to - amongst others - support the development of social protection assessment tools as part of the global Inter-Agency Social Protection Assessment (ISPA) Initiative. During this time I also provided technical support to the WB's social assistance programmes for Indonesia (e.g. conducting a comprehensive quantitative an qualitative work-load analysis of Indonesia's social assistance case managers local levels) and Kenya (developing and testing financial inclusion training materials for cash transfer beneficiaries). Thereafter, I became the team leader for the Asian Development Bank's Social Assistance component on adapting Indonesia's conditional cash transfer programme to remote and fragile regions in the eastern part of the country. Additionally, I provided technical and managerial support on behalf of the ILO for the UN Joint Programme on "Leaving No One Behind. Establishing the Basis for Social Protection Floors in Lao PDR" (e.g. drafting an implementation roadmap for the national social protection strategy, developing a related M&E framework and drafting the annual SDG Fund Project progress report etc.). My technical interests range from SP strategy development to SP financing as well as on the inter-play of design, delivery mechanisms and organizational set-up of non-contributory SP programmes. M. Sc. Public Health M. Sc. Social Sciences University of London / London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineJustus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen marco.schaefer@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementStrategic planningTeam management varius Health, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection |
| Reem Nejdawi | Chief | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Mrs. Reem Nejdawi works for the UN-Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) since 2011. She is currently the Chief , Food and Environment Policies, Climate Change and Natural Resources Sustainability Cluster in Beirut, Lebanon. During 2017 to 2019, she led ESCWA Technology Centre in Amman, Jordan. She has over twenty years of professional development experience in the Arab region covering issues related to policy design; implementation and monitoring of sustainable development programs and projects as well as policy advice. Her work supports inter-governmental processes and cooperation with development stakeholders. She worked extensively in the fields related to food security, environment, rural and women development and SME/microfinance programs with special emphasis on resource efficiency in the Arab Region. She co-authored reports, publications and articles on various development issues, including on food security, sustainable development, and environment in Arab countries. Prior to joining ESCWA, she held various positions with NGOs, Jordanian women machinery and regional social business working on areas related to microfinance, small business services, rural development, and gender issues. She holds a master’s degree in International Trade from Eastern Michigan University, USA. Finance for Development Master's of Arts in Language and International Trade Eastern Michigan University nejdawi@un.org Agriculture, Circular Economy, Climate Change, Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementResource mobilizationTeam management Arab Food Security: Vulnerabilities and Pathways, 2021Tracking Food Security in the Arab Region, 2020Arab Horizon 2030: Prospects for Enhancing Food Security in the Arab Region, 2017Policy Options for Promoting Green Technologies in the Arab Region, 2017The Arab Sustainable Development Report, First Edition, 2016 Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Poverty Reduction |
| Christian Oldiges | Senior Economic Affairs Officer, Project Coordinator Multidimensional Poverty | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Christian Oldiges is Senior Economic Affairs Officer at UN ESCWA, project coordinator for multidimensional poverty, and a trained Development Economist with more than 14 years of experience in applied policy advocacy, poverty measurement and drafting poverty reduction strategies. He currently leads the team that works with governments in the Arab region to a) develop national multidimensional poverty indices, and based on these, to create new evidence-based poverty reduction strategies. In this regard, he primarily liaises with ministries of planning, finance, and social development as well as national statistics bureaus. Before joining UN ESCWA in May 2022, he served as Policy Specialist at UNDP/BPPS, New York, and was Director of Policy Research at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), University of Oxford. Over the course of 10 years at OPHI, he led multiple initiatives to develop national MPIs together with governments in South Asia and Africa, notably and successfully so in India, Maldives and Ghana. In postdoctoral research at Oxford, in a much cited and publicized paper, he analysed multidimensional poverty reduction trends in India, the inter-linkages of poverty reduction and out-migration (Bangladesh) and armed conflict (Nigeria), and the welfare effects of workfare programs on marginal groups in India. Following two articles on the initial years of India's employment guarantee and years of joint work, he periodically co-authors and examines matters of food security in India with Jean Drèze. His peer-reviewed studies are published in the Journal of Development Economics, World Development, the Journal of International Development, International Political Science Review, Migration Studies, and in two Oxford University Press handbooks. He holds a PhD in Economics from Heidelberg University, Germany. Economic Modeling Doctorate in Economics University of Heidelberg, Germany christian.oldiges@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProgrammingProject managementStrategic planningTeam management The Welfare Effects of India's Rural Employment GuaranteesMonetary and Multidimensional Poverty in Cameroon: Measurements, Determinants and Policy Implications, in Monga, Célestin (ed), 2022Does Workfare Work? India's Employment Guarantee during COVID-19Examining Multidimensional Poverty Reduction in India 2005/6-2015/16: Insights and Oversights of the Headcount RatioIn Quest of a Better Life: International Labour Migration and the Many Forms of Poverty Health, Hunger, Inequality, Poverty Reduction |
| Austin Hamilton | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal I have more than five years of progressively responsible experience in economic research and analysis, policy formulation, application of economic principles in development programmes and related areas. I am currently an Economic Affairs Officer working in the water and economics nexus for the 20 UN Member states to ESCWA. Previously, I was a researcher at Harvard University looking at the nexus between health, the economy, and the environment. I previously worked as an economist at the UN RCO in the KSA from June 2020 to February 2022, collecting, evaluating, interpreting, analyzing statistics and socio-economic information primarily related to global indices ranking the KSA, creating an SDG forecasting model using a nearest neighbor matching method. During which I was a major author and architect for the KSA's Common Country Analysis and Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. Prior to that, most of my research has been in an academic setting in various economics departments. I hold a master’s degree in Economics, with a concentration in Applied Econometrics. I also hold bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics, Finance, and Entrepreneurship. In addition to those degrees, I completed the first two and a half years of a Ph.D. program in Economics before withdrawing. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling, Finance for Development Masters in Economics & BA in MathematicsBachelors in Finance & Entrepreneurship University of North Carolina - CharlotteWestern Carolina University austin.hamilton@un.org Water Data analysisStrategic planningVNR Preparations/Support SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Lamiaa Kalawi | Regional Advisor on social development and social justice | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Lamiaa Kalawi is the Regional Advisor on Social Development & Social Justice in UN ESCWA. She has more than 15 years of work experience in sustainable development programmes within UN Agencies and International Development Organizations in the MENA Region, sub-saharan Africa and Europe. Lamiaa has a blend of national, regional and international experience in social development, inclusive growth, gender equality and women empowerment, migration and refugees, good governance, employment and decent work, and others. Before joining the UN ESCWA Lamiaa was Senior Social Development Consultant at the World Bank, MENA Program. She also worked as Regional Programme Coordinator for UN Women Egypt , Regional Projects Officer for UNODC/ROMENA, Regional Coordinator in Transparency International Secretariat, and Programme Officer for ILO North Africa. Lamiaa has a master’s degree in public policy for sustainable development from the Oxford University, UK, a post graduate diploma in human resources development from the American University in Cairo, a bachelor degree in English language and linguistics from the University of Alexandria, and professional certificates in good governance and rule of law with focus on fragile States from the Hague Academy for Local Governance. Master Degree in Public Policy for sustainable development Post Graduate Professional Diploma in Human Resources University of Oxford The American University in Cairo ( AUC) lamiaa.kalawi1@un.org Governance, Human Rights, Institutional Development Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Population Dynamics & Migration, Poverty Reduction, Youth Empowerment |
| Younes Abouyoub | Chief, Governance and State-Building / Public Instituions | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Younes Abouyoub, PhD. is the Chief of Governance and State-Building; Governance and Conflict Prevention Division for the Arab Region, United Nations ESCWA. He has a long experience in issues of Governance, conflict prevention and resolution, Mediation, Peacebuilding, and Sustainable Development. Dr. Abouyoub is the former head of the political office of the UN Under-Secretary General for Conflict Prevention and Senior political advisor to the UN Secretary General Special Envoy to Burundi. He directed the political office of the UN Secretary General Special Envoy to Yemen. Dr. Abouyoub was also the senior political advisor of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Libya, and former member of the UN Security Council Panel of Experts on Sudan (Darfur conflict). He worked in different capacities for the United Nations; the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (New York), the United Nations in Nairobi, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, as well as in several other UN duty stations around the world. Younes Abouyoub holds a Ph.D. in political sociology, M.A. and post-graduate university degrees in Sociology, Geopolitics and Law. Ph.D. Political Sociology Paris University abouyouby@un.org Governance, Human Rights, Institutional Development, Peacekeeping, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention CommunicationProject managementStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support ISLAM AND POLITICS IN CONTEMPORARY LIBYA , MAGHREB-MACHREK: Vol. 224 No 01 (2015): MM 224-225Climate: The Forgotten Culprit; the Ecological Dimensions of Darfur conflict, Race, Gender & Class; New Orleans |
| John O'Toole | Principal Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal John O’Toole is the Principal Economic Affairs Officer in ESCWA. Prior to joining ESCWA, he worked as an Inter-Regional Adviser in the Division for Inclusive Social Development in the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in New York. He has also worked for the government of Ireland in Dublin in the Finance, Health and Social Protection Ministries, and in Brussels in the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU, and for the European Union in Stockholm. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from University College Dublin, a Master’s degree in Public Sector Analysis from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD from the University of Liverpool. He is a graduate of the French École Nationale d’Administration. His research interests include building economic and social inclusion, reducing inequalities, creating jobs for young people and recovery and resilience in the Arab region. Behavioral Economics, Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Fiscal Management & Policies, Regional Integration and Mobility PhDM. Sc University of LiverpoolPublic Sector Analysis otoole@un.org Governance, Institutional Development Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilization Irish Government Today Ireland 2020 Vision Aging, Disability, Education, Health, Hunger, Inequality |
| Ruchika Chaudhary | Economic Affairs Officer (Gender Economist) | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality I am an economist specialising in gender equality, labour and employment issues, with demonstrated experience of 10 years with different UN agencies. Economic Modeling PhD JNU, New Delhi, India ruchika.chaudhary@un.org Data analysisProject managementStrategic planning Female labour force participation in India and beyondThe future of work for women workers Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Social Protection SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Jana El Baba | Sustainable Development Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Ms. Jana El Baba is a Sustainable Development Officer with the 2030 Agenda and SDG Coordination Cluster at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Prior to that, she held several positions with UNESCO and ESCWA, where she led regional and national programmes and authored UN publications covering a wide range of sustainable development issues. She also contributed to Arab regional preparations for the Rio+20 and Agenda 2030 processes. Jana holds two Master degrees, one in engineering management from the American University of Beirut and a second in sustainable development with a focus on natural resources management from the University of London / School of Oriental and African Studies. She also holds a graduate diploma in Public Policy and Program Evaluation from Carleton University in Ottawa. Master of Sustainable DevelopmentMaster of Engineering Management University of London - SOASAmerican University of Beirut baba@un.org Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity Institutional Development Capacity buildingCommunication Annual SDG Review 2023Arab Sustainable Development Report 2015 Youth Empowerment |
| Hammou LAAMRANI | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 15: Life on Land * Researcher at The National Agronomic Research Institute, Agadir, Morocco, 2005 : Rural development, ecosystems health, impact of agricultural and water infrastructure on rural livelihoods and human well being * Researcher, International Water Management Institute, Accra, Ghana 2007: Water management and Ecosystems Health * Senior Programme Officer, International Development Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt 2013, Rural Poverty and Environment and further Agriculture and Food Security * Senior Advisor, GIZ (German Cooperation), Cairo, Egypt, 2017 : Adaptation to Climate Change in the Arab region * Senior Expert, BMZ (German Cooperation) and League of Arab States, Cairo, Egypt, 2021, Water, Energy, Food and Climate Change nexus in the Arab region * Economic Affairs Officer, UNESCWA/NAFS programme, Beirut, Lebanon, 2022 : Agriculture and Livelihoods in Syria *Economic Affairs Officer, UNESCWA, Beirut, Lebanon, 2023, Climate Change and Natural Resources Sustainability Cluster, Food and Environment Policy Unit PhDMSc Copenhagen University, Denmark Faculty of Science Rabat, Morocco hammou.laamrani@un.org Agriculture, Circular Economy, Climate Change, Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilization Laamrani H (2009) The political Economy and Water Governance in the Arab region. Chapter 5, Fifth World Water Forum MENA Region Report, Eds Arab Water Council, Linking water research and policy, Chapter 12, Arab Forum For Environment and Development Morocco's National Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Public Health Challenges and Lessons LearnedWater demand Management in Yemen and Jordan: addressing power and interests. Smart Water Governance in Moroccan Agriculture: New Science and Policy Collaboration and Partnership |
| Abdelmenam Mohamed | Regional Coordinator for Science | UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme |
| GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 14: Life Below Water, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Over 15 years’ experience in catalyzing Science for Environmental Policy to promote environmental sustainability and support well-informed decision making at national and regional levels. As Environment Specialist with UNDP Libya. Abdelmenam worked in a joint project with FAO to manage land resources at the national and sub-national levels through the development of a spatially based operational decision support system called the Land Resources Information Management system for Libya (LRIMS). Furthermore, he was overseeing a large program funded by the government on environmental governance tackling key environmental issues such as waste, habitat loss, pollution etc. He joined UNEP in 2015 as the Regional Science-Policy Interface within the Regional Office for West Asia and was responsible for data and information for decision-making and coordinated the overall delivering of the sixth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) Regional Assessment for West Asia in 2016. In 2019, Abdelmenam assumed the role of the Regional Development Coordination Officer where he succeeded to develop strategic partnerships for the Regional Office with scientific institutions and private sector. In addition, he served as UNEP’s focal point in the region on UN system-wide development work. Currently, working as the Regional Coordinator and Science Advisor for West Asia Office, responsible for strengthening the Science-Policy Interface and data and information for decision-making as well as integrating environmental dimensions into the UN cooperation mechanisms. Abdelmenam manages the delivery of other key UNEP products and services, which include producing the state of environment reports and providing web-based tools and technologies to support sharing of environmental data and information from national to global levels. Abdelmenam holds a PhD in Natural Sciences from the Univ. of Lüneburg /Germany, a M. Eng. in Env. Protection with special focus on renewable energies from the Nürtingen-Geislingen Univ. of Applied Science/Germany and a BSc in Env. Studies from University of Sebha/Libya. PhD Univ. of Lüneburg /Germany abdelmenam.mohamed@un.org Circular Economy, Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management, Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Governance, Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation ProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support Effects of prescribed burning on plant available nutrients in dry heathland ecosystemsN:P Ratio and the Nature of Nutrient Limitation in Calluna-Dominated HeathlandsImpact of sod-cutting and choppering on nutrient budgets of dry heathlandsImpact of prescribed burning on the nutrient balance of heathlands with particular reference to nitrogen and phosphorus Big Data, Digital Transformation, SDG Monitoring |
| Jil Amine | Economic Affairs Officer (Sustainable Development) | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Mr. Jil Amine is an Economic Affairs Officer (Sustainable Development) with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) working on sustainable development and renewable energy projects and policies. He joined ESCWA with prior work and management experience with the World Bank and Agence Française de Développement in Lebanon, UNDP Lebanon, and EnWin Utilities in Canada where he worked in the energy policy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy distribution sectors. Jil graduated from the University of Windsor Canada with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 2012 and a master’s degree in renewable energy in 2013. Bachelor of Applied Science Honours Electrical Engineering Co-operative Education with DistinctionMaster of Engineering Electrical Engineering University of WindsorUniversity of Windsor jil.amine@un.org Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Wind Farms in Lebanon Challenges and OpportunitiesEnergy and climate change Education, Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Poverty Reduction, Youth Empowerment Statistics Smart Cities |
| Joaquin Salido Marcos | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Joaquin Salido Marcos is an Economic Affairs Officer at the Conflict Prevention and Governance Cluster of the UN Regional Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). His work draws on the impact of conflict on development and to examine the linkages between socioeconomic and governance outcomes in the Arab region. His portfolio also includes the monitoring of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries members of ESCWA. Prior to joining UN-ESCWA, Joaquin worked at the UN Regional Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). Joaquin is a Political Scientist and Public Administration Graduate from the University of Salamanca (2008) and Masters’ in International Relations and European Studies from the College of Europe (2010). Master's Political Science and Public AdministrationMaster's International Relations and Diplomacy University of SalamancaCollege of Europe joaquin.salido@un.org Governance, Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Data analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support Digital Transformation, SDG Monitoring |
| Dina Tannir | Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions I have more than 20 years of experience in social development research, advocacy, capacity building and policy support. At the beginning of my career, I worked primarily on developing demographic estimates and projections and looking into how population dynamics can impact development. Moving into higher responsibilities, I carried out research and supported the implementation of various projects and capacity development activities on social inclusion, social protection, youth and civic engagement. I also took a special interest in working with and for persons with disability, contributing to studies and capacity-building initiatives, and advocating for inclusive development with governments, in collaboration with UN agencies and civil society. I took leading roles in addressing the challenges to social justice and implementing projects to integrate social justice principles in national development plans and participated in training government officials in the region on the use of tools in support of this objective. I also participated in and led programme/project planning, budgeting and monitoring processes. Recently, I transitioned to working on ageing and migration, two promising and intriguing regional portfolios that require a distinct knowledge and expertise and direct engagement in flagship publications and regional reviews process of major Conferences. These activities allow me to employ a set of competencies, including teamwork, planning and organization and client orientation, as well as the use of analytical, creative thinking and communication skills. Working in the field of social development does not preclude some challenges, such as working in a region marred with conflict and political instability; competing national priorities; poor governance and inadequate funding. However, the Arab region has made remarkable progress on several fronts, and I’d like to think that doing what we do, as the arm of the UN in this region, has contributed partly, to this progress. Masters in Population StudiesB.Sc in environmental health American University of BeirutAmerican University of Beirut tannird@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationProgrammingProject managementTeam management Aging, Disability, Health, Population Dynamics & Migration, Social Protection, Youth Empowerment |
| Naela Haddad | Project Management Officer. Megatrends, Office of the Executive Secretary | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal My work at ESCWA & earlier with the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture for the Arab Countries provided me with a wealth of substantive & managerial experiences & equipped me with the necessary skills, knowledge & competencies. Working in close collaboration with organizational and departmental colleagues, experts, consultants, and member countries and other regional and international organizations has provided me the opportunity & ability to work on various thematic issues and tasks. Thematic issues included economic development, private sector, labour, population, human development, international trade, investment, social policy, social justice, civil society & participation, inclusive social development, urban development, post-2015 Agenda, SGDs, the New Urban Agenda (NUA) transport statistics and currently megatrends. I successfully delivered related outputs in a timely & efficient manner while ensuring that the highest quality standards and deadlines were met. Working on such issues provided me with the opportunity to successfully exercise leadership, managerial & collaborative skills. Often, I was the lead manager or coordinator and drafter of a publication or an activity, like being the task manager & focal point to produce the Habitat III Regional Report for the Arab Region & leading the regional consultations to H III (Quito, October 2016) as UNTT FP. I also followed up to roll out the NUA & extended support to MSs on urban issues including the conceptualization and implementation of a DA project on National Urban Policies. I was also the FP to several Intergovernmental meetings (IGMs) & contributed to other IGMs and sessions, liaised & coordinated closely with various stakeholders. During my tenure, I undertook several capacity-building and technical advisory missions to member states on various topics and produced conceptual papers, reports, presentations, and publications. Represented ESCWA on several occasions and delivered opening speeches, engaged in discussions, and gave presentations. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade Master of Science in Population Studies American University of Beirut haddad8@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject management provided upon request. please refer to Bio for a summary of issues Population Dynamics & Migration, Social Protection |
| Vladimir Hlasny | Economic affairs officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality Economist and Co-lead of the Poverty and Inequality Project, developing knowledge products and assisting with capacity-building in the areas of poverty measurement and mitigation. Economic Modeling PhD Michigan State University hlasny@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementTeam management Inequality, Poverty Reduction |
| Adel Alghaberi | First Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal I have more than 20 years of experience in international trade and development issues, private sector development, trade facilitation and logistics, programme and project design and management, banking and business development. My work duties ranged from research, analysis, policy formulation, technical assistance and advisory services to execution of policies and implementation of projects. I have good knowledge of developing countries’ trade integration opportunities and challenges with practical experience in the delivery of trade related technical assistance targeting the enhancement of competitiveness and participation in regional and global trade. I have led and participated in the formulation and implementation of various programmes and projects funded externally addressing mainly trade development, value chain development ( a multi-million dollar project targeting honey value chain with focus on women), logistics and trade integration at regional and global levels. I have also led and contributed to various research and publications addressing different issues including connectivity to GVCs in the Arab region, sustainable transport, Trade Facilitation and Paperless Trade Implementation, Trade logistics in the Arab region, Arab economic integration, among others. I have also led the organization of various events, including IGMs, for officials and experts on issues pertaining to enhanced trade and logistics and WTO related issues. I have also served for years as the gender focal point in my division to ensure that the integration of gender dimension in all works and projects is properly considered. Throughout my career, I have been able to build and maintain strong networks with key stakeholders and establish strong partnerships for funding and joint delivery of technical assistance to beneficiaries from both government and private sector entities by creating and maintaining shared visions and implementation strategies to ensure maximum outcomes. Additionally, I am client oriented , have good management and leadership skills and good communication skills. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Finance for Development, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade MBAMaster's of Extension Education New Mexico State University New Mexicso State university al-ghaberi@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Transport and connectivity to GVCs in the Arab region Blockchain and logsitics, opportutntites for the Arab region Trade logistics in the Arab region, challenges and policy options |
| Nathalie Khaled | Economic Affairs Officer and Project Coordinator | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Working in the UN since 2007. Iam Leading the implementation of several projects including: Improving Competition and Protecting Consumers in the Arab region; Enhancing Integrated National Development Planning, the Arab Business Environment Legislative Framework. Leading the implementation of the Annual Arab Competition Forum in partnership with OECD & UNCTAD. Drafting annually since 2012, the socioeconomic & gender dynamics chapter of flagship publication: "Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Arab Region". Holder of bronze "Munasara Gender Equality Award" in 2018. As for publications, I was responsible for drafting publications, and many technical and policy oriented papers on emerging socioeconomic, economic governance, and development issues I also contributed to the production and drafting of many user manuals, country surveys, and assessments as well as parliamentary documentation for intergovernmental meetings. In addition to handbooks such as the “Behavioural Insights and Strategic Planning Handbook” I have been responsible of the development of online courses, preparing the structure, course material, course content, and instructions on the narratives, scripts, and course design of the courses such as Fighting Bid Rigging in Public Procurement, and Behavioral Insights and Strategic Planning. I also served in Budgeting and Finance in UNIFIL for 2 years and in Human Resources Management at ESCWA for 3 years. During that period, I worked on staff development, performance management, and benefits and entitlements. I also formerly served at the American Society for Management from 2003 until 2007 as a Project Manager and Quality Management consultant and auditor. Behavioral Economics, Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade Masters In Business Admininstration Lebanese American University khaled@un.org Governance, Institutional Development Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Arab RegionSurvey of Economic and Social Developments in the Arab Region 2021-2022Arab Economic Integration reportArab Business Environment Legislative FrameworkIntroducing Dash boarding Modules in National Development Planning |
| Soheil Rastan | Statistician | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Soheil Rastan, Ph.D., P. Eng., MBA, M. Eng., M. Arch. One should see no box; let alone thinking outside of it. Fact or myth is not the question; the probability of each is the question. ESCWA Project Coordinator: Leave No Location Behind Canvas - Managing the Geo-Statistical Laboratory at ESCWA-Statistics Environmental sustainability indicators, socioeconomic indicators, engineering and urban planning. Public-private partnerships, scientific research collaboration. Leadership, management, coaching, and mentoring. Interdisciplinary: Professional Engineer, National Accounts, Environment Statistics, Air Quality, Faculty Member (Canada, China, Vietnam, Cambodia), Senior Fellow (NUS, Singapore), Regional Adviser (UN-ESCAP, Thailand) Lead for the conceptual development of Water-Energy Nexus, Statistics Canada, 2019-2020 Divisional Lead for the integration of the New Dissemination Model, Statistics Canada, 2015-2018 Project lead for the collation of sources, concepts and methods, Canadian System for Environmental Economic Accounting, Statistics Canada, 2014 – 2016 Working committee member: Measuring ecosystem goods and services, Statistics Canada, 2012 – 2013 Foreign international expert delegate invited by the Chinese Government, Air Quality Indicators, 2011 Senior Advisor: Environmental Sustainability Metrics, Energy Sector, Government of Canada, 2009 Senior Advisor: Canadian Urban Energy Mapping, Government of Canada, 2009 Scientific Advisor: Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators, 2005 - 2010 Scientific Advisor: Canadian Health Measure Survey, Statistics Canada, 2005 Recipient of Statistics Canada's Tom Symons Research Award for outstanding contribution on Measuring Ecosystem Goods and Services Project, Government of Canada, 2013 Recipient of a Departmental R&D Grant (CAD $1.2 million), Statistics Canada. 2009 Recipient of the Deputy Minister’s Special Recognition Merit Award, Statistics Canada, 2007 Recipient of the Director General's Employee Recognition Award for exceptional and distinguished contribution to the effectiveness of Statistics Canada, 2007 Recipient of Innovation and Solutions R&D grants (CAD $500K), 2004 Recipient of a Federal House In-Order Research and Demonstration grant (CAD $350K), 200 Trade PhD McGill Univ. Canada soheil.rastan@un.org Circular Economy, Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject managementStrategic planningTeam management Rastan, S, and Larocque, H, 2015, ‘Development and validation of an ecosystem sustainability indicator for metropolitan areas: a case study’, The Handbook of Clean Energy Systems, John Wiley Velascoa, E, and Rastan, S, 2015, ‘Air quality in Singapore during the 2013 smoke-haze episode over the Strait of Malacca: Lessons learned’, Sustainable Cities and Society, 17 (2015) 122–131Bordt, M, and Rastan, S, 2015, ‘Role of national agencies as honest brokers between science and policy: case studies on statistics and environmental indicators’, The Handbook of Clean Energy Systems, John Wiley Yerushalmi, L, Rastan, S, 2014, ‘Evaporative Losses from Retail Gasoline Outlets and Their Potential Impact on Ambient and Indoor Air Quality’, Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Volume 1: IndoorRastan, S, (2013), ‘Human Activity and the Environment: Measuring ecosystem goods and services in Canada’, contributor to the conceptual, technical and statistical development, verification and editing, Statistics Canada Health SDG Monitoring, Statistics Urban Development |
| Hong Pum Chung | Statistician | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Statistician/Data Analyst/Energy Specialist with over 15 years of combined experience in both Public and Private Sector. Previous international work experience include UN DESA, UN MONUSCO, UN ESCAP and OECD/IEA. Economic Modeling, Regional Integration and Mobility Bachelors in Statistics University of Michigan chungh@un.org Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management Peacekeeping, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support Population Dynamics & Migration Big Data, Emerging Technologies, SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Neda Jafar | Head Statistical Policies and Coordination Unit | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Over 30 years of experience in statistical research, capacity building, and program development in the United Nations, notably on gender, disability, and SDGs statistics. Experienced in data quality and metadata including dissemination, communication, and coordination of production and data flow of statistics at national and international levels. Masters in Population Studies American University of Beirut jafarn@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject managementStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Hend El Khatib | Governance and Public Administration Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal I am a public administration expert who worked for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. I have a Master's degree in public administration from the American University of Beirut (AUB). I have a strong understanding of the ideas and principles underpinning the area of public administration thanks to my academic training and the practical abilities required to put that knowledge to use in the real world. I concentrated on subjects like Administrative Reform, performance measurement and management, effective governance public policy analysis, public finance management, and organizational behavior throughout my years of work. I joined the UNDP after receiving my Master's degree, where I worked on numerous development initiatives. Designing and implementing policies and initiatives that aimed to advance governance in Lebanon to achieve sustainable development and improve socioeconomic conditions. While working for UNDP, I enhanced my abilities to manage projects dealing with local government and effectively collaborate with stakeholders from various backgrounds and cultures. Subsequently, I joined ESCWA in March 2022, where I kept expanding my public administration skills. In this position, I was in charge of giving policy recommendations and technical support to governments in the Western Asia region, with an emphasis on public administration reform to overcome challenges and achieve Sustainable Development Goals, and improve governance. As part of my work to increase my knowledge of regional public administration challenges, I have contributed to a number of research projects. I'm dedicated to furthering public administration's objectives through practical, cutting-edge methods, and I welcome the opportunity to keep having a good influence in this crucial area. Masters of Public AdministrationBachelor of Arts Political Science and Public Administration American University of BeirutAmerican Univerity of Beirut nanikhatib@hotmail.com Governance, Institutional Development Capacity buildingStrategic planning |
| Lize Denner | Associate Programme Management Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Lize Denner is an Associate Programme Management Officer in the Cluster on Statistics, Information Society & Technology of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). She is a researcher in the field of technology and innovation for development, currently focusing on the Arab region. Recent fields of work include open government, innovation in the public sector, digital transformation and e-accessibility. Previously she was with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) working as Associate Information Management Officer and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) as Associated Librarian. Ms. Denner is a professional information and knowledge manager and holds a master’s degree in Information Science from the University of Stellenbosch and a Advanced University Diploma in Disaster Management in South Africa. Advance University Diploma in Disaster ManagementMaster of Arts (Information Science) University of Free StateUniversity of Stellenbosch denner@un.org Capacity buildingCommunication Digital Transformation, Knowledge Economy |
| Mirna El Hajj | Programme Management Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal She is currently Programme Management Officer in the Statistics, Information Society and Technology cluster at ESCWA , where she is supervising and undertaking analytical research and carrying out analytical studies in the areas of ICT for development, Internet governance, Digital Economy, Smart societies and governments and other subjects related to emergent technologies and particularly their contribution to building a knowledge-based economy In the Arab region. She also contributes substantively to the organization of ESCWA meetings and regional conferences on ICT strategies and policies for sustainable development. Since 2020, She is leading the ESCWA Arab Digital Inclusion Platform (ADIP) Project (https://e-inclusion.unescwa.org/) aiming at supporting policy makers in the Arab counties to develop/improve their national policies and guidelines for enhanced e-Accessibility. ESCWA efforts in the field of digital inclusion have been recognized and the ADIP Project was selected as champion at the World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2022. Through the ADIP project, ESCWA is providing technical and substantive support to policy and decision makers in Arab countries to develop or improve their national policies and to devise related action plans for enhanced e-Accessibility Previously she worked as advisor to the minister and expert in the Ministry of Social Affairs, where she launched a comprehensive program for business process re-engineering and automation, and she was in charge of developing and implementing an ICT master plan that included automation projects for a number of administrative and social departments. She has also lectured at the Lebanese University for more than 10 years and holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Paris -8 and a master’s degree in Business Administration. She has several articles and scientific research published in international journals in the fields of information technology. PhD in Computer Science University of Paris-8 barbarm@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject managementStrategic planningTeam management National Technical Guidelines on e-Accessibility for the Arab RegionNational e-Accessibility Policy Template for the Arab Region Digital Transformation, Knowledge Economy, Statistics |
| Khalid Abu-Ismail | Chief of Section and Senior Economist | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Khalid Abu-Ismail is Senior Economist at United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). He currently leads or co-leads ESCWA's work on global development challenges, beyond GDP, economic resilience, poverty, inequality and has formerly led ESCWA's work on Economic Growth, Employment, MDGs, Middle Class, Fiscal Policies, and the Arab Vision 2030. He is the lead author of more than 50 technical papers and 20 UN flagship publications, including the 2022 World Development Challenges Report and the 2017 and 2023 Arab Multidimensional Poverty Reports. Formerly, he held positions of Poverty and Macroeconomic Policy Advisor at the United Nations Development Program Regional Offices for Arab States (2002-2012), Assistant to Minister of Public Enterprises in Egypt (1997) and Lead Economist with the Egyptian Cabinet's Decision Support Center (1992-95). Khalid is a Policy Affiliate at the Middle East Economic Research Forum and a former Guest Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics of the Lebanese American University. He has a D. Phil. in Development Economics from the New School for Social Research in New York and MPhil in Development Planning and the Environment from the University of Dundee in Scotland. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling, Fiscal Management & Policies, Industrial Development, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade Phd in EconomicsMPhil in Development Planning and the Environment New School for Social ResearchUniversity of Dundee abu-ismail@un.org Food Security Governance, Institutional Development Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management World Development Challenges Report Education, Health, Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Population Dynamics & Migration, Poverty Reduction Knowledge Economy, SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Ziad Khayat | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Ziad Khayat is Economic Affairs Officer and Coordinator of IWRM for Improved Water Security at the Climate Change and Natural Resources Sustainability Cluster of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Wester Asia (ESCWA). Mr. Khayat joined ESCWA in 2015 focusing on water related sustainable development issues within the context of a Water-Energy- Food Security nexus approach and on transboundary water resources opportunities and challenges in the Arab region. He has also been involved in the United Nations-League of Arab States Regional Initiative for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources and Socio-Economic Vulnerability in the Arab Region (RICCAR) exploring climate change effects on water resources and in particular groundwater. He currently leads the development of an Arab Groundwater Knowledge Platform and improving governance of groundwater resources in the Arab region. Prior to joining ESCWA Mr. Khayat was project manager for the Groundwater Assessment of Lebanon with UNDP from 2010 to 2014. Prior to that Mr. Khayat was senior hydrogeologist with Dar Al Handasah leading on groundwater resource assessment projects in the Arab region and Africa. Mr. Khayat has also has experience as environmental specialist in field of solid waste management and water resources from 2002 to 2007 and has taught hydrogeology courses at the American University of Beirut during the same time period. Bachelor of ScienceMasters of Science University of British ColumbiaAmerican University of Beirut khayat@un.org Climate Change, Water Capacity buildingProgrammingProject management |
| Jimmy Hajj | Associate economic affairs officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities I have a PhD in Economics, MBA in Economics Management, and a double Masters degree in Management & Audit, and Sustainable Management . I have 12 years of experiences in very different countries and cultures, and soft skills that I am bringing to ESCWA Behavioral Economics, Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling Phd Grenoble Alpes university jimmy.hajj@un.org Governance, Institutional Development Capacity buildingCommunicationProject managementStrategic planningTeam management |
| Niranjan Sarangi | Senior Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Niranjan Sarangi is a Senior Economic Affairs Officer in the Shared Economic Prosperity Cluster, UN-ESCWA. He leads the programme on Debt and Fiscal Policy in the Arab region at UN-ESCWA. He has led the first-of-its-kind two regional flagship reports “Social Expenditure Monitor for Arab States” and “Rethinking Fiscal Policy for the Arab Region”. He has engaged with more than 20 countries in Asia and Arab States to provide technical assistance toward addressing critical development challenges in the areas of fiscal policy, debt, public finance, human development and the SDGs. Niranjan holds a PhD in Development Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India. Debt Management, Economic Modeling, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies PhD Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) New Delhi sarangi@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject managementResource mobilizationTeam management Inequality, Poverty Reduction |
| Tanner Boisjolie | Associate Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Tanner Boisjolie is an Associate Economic Affairs Officer in ESCWA's 2030 Agenda and SDG Coordination Cluster. He holds a BA in International Relations from the University of San Diego and an MA in International Development Studies from Simon Fraser University. Professional interests and research include enhancing policy coherence for sustainable development, enhancing stakeholder engagement in planning processes and VNR development, and ensuring that no one is left behind in policies crafted to advance SDG achievement. Additional expertise includes project management. MA, International Studies (International Development)BA, Honours, International Relations Simon Fraser UniversityUniversity of San Diego tanner.boisjolie@un.org Governance Capacity buildingCommunicationProject managementVNR Preparations/Support ESCWA Annual SDG Review 2022 |
| Patricia Haydamous | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal A young professional with well-rounded experience in developmental matters and interest in public policy and diplomacy. Prior to joining the UN, I served as an economist at the World Bank Group working on private sector development matters in Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and Tunisia, and played a role in coordinating and implementing the WBG Mashreq Maximizing Finance for Development (MFD) strategy. I have experience in project development and core business operations with extensive experience in economic and technical analysis, including development of technical documents and work on impact evaluation design. Before joining the World Bank Group, I have worked as a program research assistant at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, working on a series of environmental policy notes and coordinating the organization of conferences and talks. I hold a Master's degree in International Trade, Finance and Development from the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics, and a Bachelor's degree in Economics with a focus on finance and mathematics from the American University of Beirut. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Finance for Development, Trade MSc International Trade Finance and Development Barcelona Graduate School of Economics/Pompeu Fabra patricia.haydamous@un.org Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Institutional Development Data analysisProject management |
| BCHIR Mohamed Hedi | Chief of section | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Dr. Mohamed Hedi BCHIR is the chief of the Modeling and Forecasting Section at UNESCWA, He is leading a number of research activities covering some urgent challenges in the region. Such as the economic impacts of conflicts. He participated to the assessment of the Impact of the Conflict on Syrian Economy and a joint paper with the World Bank that assessed the Impacts of the Libyan crisis on the Tunisian economy. M. BCHR held PhD in Economics from the university of Pantheon Sorbonne. Before joining UNESCWA, he was a senior economist at the world Bank, a principal economist at the African Development Bank and economist at United Nation Economic Commission for Africa. Economic Modeling, Fiscal Management & Policies, Regional Integration and Mobility PhD university of Pantheon Sorbonne bchirm@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProgramming |
| Mario de Queiroz Monteiro Jales | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 14: Life Below Water, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Mario Jales is an Economic Affairs Officer at the 2030 Agenda and SDG Coordination Cluster of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), where he contributes to the enhancement of regional dialogue and knowledge on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the Arab region. Previously, Mr. Jales was an economist at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), where he managed technical cooperation projects, supported consensus building initiatives, and conducted research and analysis on trade, sustainable development, commodities and climate change. He was also project director at the Institute for International Trade Negotiations, fellow at Cornell University, research fellow at the Inter-American Development Bank, and consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank. Mr. Jales holds a Ph.D. in Applied Economics from Cornell University and master’s degrees from Stanford University and Georgetown University. He has authored or co-authored dozens of policy papers, technical reports, journal articles and book chapters on sustainable development. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Finance for Development, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade Ph.D. in Applied EconomicsMaster of Science in International Relations Cornell UniversityGeorgetown University mario.jales@un.org Agriculture, Circular Economy, Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management, Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject management Annual SDG Review: The private sector and the SDGs in the Arab regionFood Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: Challenges in a Post-pandemic WorldCommodities at a glance: Special issue on gum arabicCommodities and Development Report 2019: Commodity Dependence, Climate Change and the Paris AgreementCommodities and Development Report 2017: Commodity Markets, Economic Growth and Development SDG Monitoring |
| Mohamed El Moctar Mohamed El Hacene | Cluster Leader, Shared Economic Prosperity | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Mohamed El Moctar Mohamed El Hacene is the Cluster Leader, Shared Economic Prosperity Cluster, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA). He has a progressive high-level experience not only in economic development but also in institutional development, capacity building, regional cooperation, and conflict resolution. Moctar has a vast background which includes more than thirty years in government (Minister of Petroleum and Mines in Mauritania), international development institutions (United Nations, World Bank, and African Development Bank), and private sector including multinational companies. He holds a Masters degree from Curtin University (Australia), and is a citizen of Mauritania. Behavioral Economics, Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies, Industrial Development, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade Master of SciencePost-Graduate Certificate Mineral EconomicsEconomics and Financial Analysis mocthacen@yahoo.com Governance, Institutional Development Capacity buildingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management |
| Hisham Taha | Economic Adviser, Head of Financing for Development | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Hisham Taha joined the United Nations as the Strategic Policy Advisor to the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and is currently serving as Economic Advisor for UNESCWA leading the Financing for Development Office. Mr. Taha is a career economist with 25 years of experience in international economic relations, finance, trade disciplines and development policy. He is a member of the United Nations Chief Economists Network and led the coordination and work of UNSDG entities on Financing for Development issues, including domestic public resource mobilization; taxation; fiscal incidence and SDG budgeting; investments and illicit financial flows. Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr. Taha held the position of Ambassador and was assigned as the Economic Advisor to the Foreign Minister of Egypt, Coordinator of the Arab and African Groups and Lead multilateral economic and trade negotiator to the World Trade Organization WTO), UNCTAD and other major UN development conferences and summits. He was appointed as the Secretary of the EU-Egypt Ministerial Association Council and served as the Special Assistant to the Under Secretary in charge of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies. Mr. Taha led the Economic, Trade and Investment Sections at both the Permanent Missions of Egypt to the United Nations (Geneva), the United States (Washington) and the European Union and NATO (Brussels). He holds postgraduate degrees in economics, political economy and international trade law. Debt Management, Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies, Industrial Development, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade Masters in Economics, Political Economy and Trade Law Institute of International Economic Relations and Diplomatic Studies tahah@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planning |
| Dina Melhem | Programme management Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 5: Gender Equality Dina Melhem has 18 years of experience in democratic development, public policy making in countries in transition, and conflict and post-conflict environments. Dina studied law, has a PhD in Public Law from the University Paul Cezanne in France, and has held many positions at the UNESCWA and previously at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) in the UK. Currently, Dina is the programme management officer leading the National Agenda for the Future of Syria program at UNESCWA. Previously, Dina held the position of WFD’s Regional Director MENA and Senior Human Rights Advisor, responsible for providing strategic direction for WFD programming development and design and relationship management in the MENA region, as well as supporting WFD HQ and country offices in integrating human rights into their programmes and activities and developing other key strategic tools. Prior to that, Dina was the Regional Director for MENA and Asia at WFD. Dina advises on strategy and new policy issues and program opportunities in the MENA and Asia regions, and she oversees quality assurance for program delivery. Dina’s principal field of expertise is supporting parliaments and government institutions as well as CSOs, including expertise in legislative drafting and analysis, financial oversight, public policy evaluation, political and socio-economic analysis, as well as her extensive expertise in rule of law and human rights, conflict resolution, women's empowerment, and gender-based violence. Dina was a Research Fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies and was heavily involved with research on the League of Arab states, international human rights law, and Islam and human rights as part of her doctorate research. PhD in International Public Law with distinction Master in Public Law with distinction Université Paul Cézanne, Aix-en-Provence, FranceLebanese University, Faculty of Law & Political Sciences dina.melhem@un.org Governance, Human Rights, Institutional Development, Peacekeeping, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Melhem Dina, «Budget expenditure control reform in MENA countries: establishing Public Accounts Committees in Morocco and Tunisia», Contemporary Developments in Parliamentary Oversight in Francophone CountriesTHE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS IN NEXUS WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTOR IN COUNTERING TERRORISM A Handbook for Parliamentarians and Criminal Justice Practitioners The International Institute for Justice and the Rule of LawExploring Worldwide Democratic Innovations - A case study of LebanonMelhem Dina, Tunisia's Nobel winners have shown how to build peace – the rest is up to us, the Guardian – Global DevelopmentMelhem Dina «Islam et Droits de l’Homme : regards croisés» in : IZQUIERDO BRICHS, Ferran y DESRUES, Thierry (coords) Disability, Inequality, Social Protection |
| Raffaele Bertini | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal I am an economist PhD with more than eight years of working experience in international organizations such as the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) of the United Nations and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). During my master and PhD studies at the University of Florence in politics and economics of developing countries, I held several research assistantships in agricultural and international economics. During my studies and working experience, I have developed project development and management skills and, on the technical side, analytical, economical, statistical and econometrical, including the use of software such as STATA to analyze different types of data from a micro to macro level. As a teammate, I possess networking and teamworking skills and I am a keen and fast learner. I am fluent in English, French and Italian. During my time at FAO, I was part of the writing team and was responsible for the Statistical Annex of the State of Food and Agriculture in the Economic and Social Agricultural Department for four years. I also held the titles of Climate Change Adaptation Economist on Tracking Adaptation in Agricultural Sectors (TAAS) in Climate and Environment Division and Expert on Foreign Direct Investments in Agriculture in the Partnership Division. At IOM, I worked at the Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa in Cairo (Egypt) as a Data and Statistics Officer and ad-interim Coordinator in the Regional Data Hub (RHD). Currently, I am covering the position of Economic Affairs Officer in the “Governance and Conflict Prevention” Cluster at UN ESCWA in Beirut (Lebanon). Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Regional Integration and Mobility PhD in Economics, University of Florence, Florence, Italy raffaele.bertini@un.org Agriculture, Climate Change, Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingData analysisProject management Education, Inequality, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection |
| Khaled Moualem | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth Expert in program management, coordination, economic affairs with focus on trade. Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade MBA University of Oxford khaled.moualem@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationProgrammingProject managementResource mobilization |
| Maisaa Youssef | Cluster Leader, 2030 Agenda and SDG Coordination | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Maisaa Youssef is the Leader of the Cluster on the 2030 Agenda and SDG Coordination at ESCWA, focusing on follow-up and review mechanisms as well as advocacy for a cultural shift in development planning and implementation in the Arab region. Maisaa was the lead author on the Arab Sustainable Development Report 2020. She has an interdisciplinary PhD in English and Film Studies with a focus on political thought and human rights. Her academic work and publications shed light on biopolitics, dehumanization and states of exception. Her UN experience covers social development, programme and strategic planning, and the SDGs. PhD University of Alberata youssef8@un.org Capacity buildingProject managementStrategic planningVNR Preparations/Support |
| Souraya Zein | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal I have over 18 years of experience at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA). I am currently serving as an Economic Affairs Officer at the Shared Economic Prosperity Cluster at ESCWA. I have a variety of skills and expertise particularly in terms of socioeconomic analysis, policy formulation, data analysis and resource mobilization. I also possess analytical skills and an extensive experience in capacity building in the Arab region. I have contributed to numerous reports, papers, flagship publications and projects focused on the Arab region. I have extensive experience in financing for development, foreign direct investment, investment agreements, taxation and double taxation avoidance, mobilizing domestic and international resources, debt management and debt swap, climate finance, climate change and disatser risk reduction, water resources management, programme management and evaluation. My overall experience at ESCWA has endowed me with organizational capabilities, clear drafting and presentation abilities, and communication skills with external and governmental bodies. I am an autonomous and result-oriented professional capable of delivering results. I also hold a Masters degree in Financial Economics from the American University of Beirut, and I am fluent in three official languages (English, French and Arabic) and proficient in Spanish, and always eager to learn, and explore new fields. Debt Management, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade Masters in Financial Economics American University of Beirut zein@un.org Climate Change, Water Governance Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementResource mobilization |
| Harald Braumann | Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth Harald Braumann joined ESCWA's social protection team in July 2022 as a secondee from ILO Geneva, where he works with the International Social Security Association (ISSA). At ISSA, he manages the country profiles, which provide summaries of social protection policies in 184 countries and territories. Pior to joining ISSA, he was a Research Analyst in the Social Policy Team at UNRISD (United Nations Research Institute for Social Development). Harald holds a master’s degree in Governance and Public Policy from Passau University. MA Governance and Public Policy University of Passau, Germany harald.braumann@un.org Data analysisProject management Social Security Programs Throughout the World (eds. 2017-2019 volumes) Social Protection |
| Karam Karam | Regional Advisor | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Regional Advisor for peacebuilding, governance, and institutional development at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA). Before joining ESCWA, I worked as Head of Research at the Common Space Initiative (CSI-UNDP). I supervised national and regional research and mapping related to national dialogues and reform processes in the MENA region. I also supported and facilitated a number of national dialogue processes. I also worked as associate professor at the faculty of law and political science at the Lebanese University, and as Program Director at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. I have published a number of articles and books on political development, social transformation and political reforms in the Arab countries. I hold a PhD in Political Science and Master’s degree in Comparative Political Sciences from the Institute of Political Sciences, Aix-en-Provence, France. I have served in many reform committees, mainly as an active member of civil society and human rights organizations in Lebanon. PhD in Political Science Institute of Political Sciences, Aix-en-Provence, France karamk@un.org Governance, Human Rights, Institutional Development, Peacekeeping, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingStrategic planning |
| Stephanie Chaban | Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality Stephanie Chaban has 15 years of significant research, advocacy and legal experience, primarily focused on the rights of women and girls in throughout the Arab region. Currently, she is a Social Affairs Officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in Beirut, Lebanon where she provides gender analysis, intergovernmental support, and technical assistance to Arab States on a range issues, including enabling gender justice; responding to violence against women; and implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. As part of her work, she produces reports, policy briefs and other information materials, including groundbreaking analysis of domestic violence legislation, protection orders, domestic violence shelters and referral systems in the Arab region. She also conducts related trainings and organizes webinar series. Prior to ESCWA, she worked on gender quality and women’s empowerment in and on Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine. Stephanie has a PhD in Law from the Transitional Justice Institute, Ulster University, and a MA in Women’s Studies from San Diego State University. PhD, Law Transitional Justice Institute, Ulster University stephanie.chaban@un.org Capacity buildingProgramming We Need the UN and this Council to Do Much More”: Activists from the MENA Region Engage the Security Council on Women, Peace and Security.Addressing Violence against Women through Legislative Reform in States Transitioning from the Arab SpringWomen’s Organizations and the Emergence of Domestic Violence Legislation in the Middle East and North Africa: An Examination of Egypt and LebanonDomestic Violence against Single, Never-Married Women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Inequality |
| Kareem Hassan | Chief of ESCWA Technology Centre | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Kareem Hassan is the Executive Director of the UN-ESCWA Technology Center for Development (Jordan). Before that, he was the Youth and Innovation Program Director at the Global Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (Switzerland) and the Managing Director of the BENAA Foundation (Egypt). Besides, he had an intensive academic career as a lecturer and researcher at Zewail University for Science and Technology (Egypt), King Saud University (Saudi Arabia), the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany), the American University in Cairo (Egypt), and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Switzerland). Kareem got his Bachelor of Agricultural Engineering at Ain Shams University (Egypt), Master of Environmental Engineering at the American University in Cairo, and Project Management Program for Sustainable Development at Cewas (Switzerland). Kareem has led more than 70 projects in Technology and Sustainable Development. In addition to leading four social enterprises and winning several international awards. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Industrial Development Masters of Environmental Engineering The American University in Cairo kareem.hassan@un.org Agriculture, Circular Economy, Water Capacity buildingCommunicationProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management MSMES Toolbox (multiple publications)Compendiums of Technologies (multiple publications) Digital Transformation, Emerging Technologies, Knowledge Economy |
| Mustafa Khawaja | Statistician | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal I completed a Master's Degree in Arts with a major in Democracy and Human Rights Studies from Birzeit University. In conjunction with my educational background, I possess a long and rich employment experience in the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, including in the collection, compilation, analysis, and dissemination of statistical data. From 2010 to 2022, I was the national coordinator for the statistical monitoring system of Palestine. During that period and since 2016, I worked as SDGs focal point for monitoring and reporting including supervising quality assurance in cooperation with national and international stakeholders and data providers. In fact, I contributed as a statistical expert to the formulation of the post-2015 agenda, with a focus on what came to be SDG 16 in the 2030 Agenda. In the same capacity, I was a member of the Expert Group piloting the indicators whose custodian agency was the UNDP Oslo Governance Centre. I was also a member of the Advisory Board of the GIZ Global Network on Partners for Review focusing on VNRs. In my formal capacity as representative of the State of Palestine, I participated to the HLG-PCCB and the IAEG on SDG Indicators; and in the formulation of the outcomes of the 2018 and 2021 SDGs World Data Forum, as well as in preparations for the 2021 edition. In 2022, I joined UN-ESCWA as a senior statistician with a focus on population censuses and CRVS. Those are only examples of the numerous core teams/committees on statistics to which I contributed in Palestine and worldwide. Through my education, employment, and accumulated expertise, I have acquired qualifications and skills which, I believe, are essential for the advertised position. I remain available to further discuss my motivations and profile. Bachelor's in Psychology and EducationMasters in Human Rights and Democracy studies University of BethlehemBirzeit University mustafa.khawaja@un.org Governance, Human Rights, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support Population Dynamics & Migration SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Mounir Tabet | Deputy Executive Secreatry | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Mr. Mounir Tabet (Canada) is Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nation Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) since 7 September 2018. In this Function Mr. Tabet oversees the work of the substantive divisions of ESCWA to help advance the implementation of Agenda 2030 in the Arab region and promote regional integration and transboundary cooperation between member states. Prior to his ESCWA assignment, Mr. Tabet held several progressively responsible UNDP posts including Country Director in Iraq (2016-2018) and in Egypt (2007-2013) and several other posts in New York, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, and Beirut. From 2013 to 2016, Mr. Tabet served as the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Tunisia, where he coordinated the United Nations System in its support to the Tunisian transition including on issues of electoral support, constitution making, parliamentary effectiveness, security sector reform, anti-corruption, as well as job creation and sustainable development. Mr. Tabet holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University- the Kennedy School of Government, where as a Mason fellow (2003- 2004) his areas of focus included globalization and international trade, macro- economics, competitiveness, management, Leadership, and knowledge management. He also holds a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Ottawa – Canada. Masters in Public AdministrationMasters in economics of development Harvard UniversityUniversity of Ottawa mounir.tabet@un.org CommunicationData analysisProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management |
| Nibal Idlbi | Chief of Innovation Section | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Dr. Idlebi is a senior expert on technology and innovation policy, knowledge society, digital and open government and STI for sustainable development. She occupied several positions at ESCWA during the last 18 years. She was appointed as expert in ICT Policy Section in 2004, then she led the ICT for Development Team, the ICT Application Section and the Innovation Section. She was also Acting Director of the Technology for Development Division in 2019-2020. She is currently focusing on digital government transformation, open government and emerging technology and innovation for sustainable development and the achievement of SDGs. She led many regional initiatives namely the initiative on open government in the Arab region, regional profile of information society, innovation policy for sustainable development, Digital Arabic content and development of cyber legislation in the Arab region. Furthermore, she is a member in several UN Working Groups such as the UN IATT-Work Stream 6 for capacity building on Innovation Policy, the Global Research Council (GRC) and she is the ESCWA focal point in the Commission for Science and Technology for Development (CSTD). She was also active member of many Arab Working groups such as the Arab ICT strategy. Ms. Idlebi was also Jury Member of several Awards such as L'OREAL-UNESCO Award "For Women in Science", Takreem Award, the World Summit Award (WSA); and regional and national e-Government Awards. Before joining ESCWA, from 2002 to 2004, she was Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Communications and Technology (MCT) in her home country Syria. She also worked at the Higher Institute of Applied Science & Technology (HIAST) in Damascus/Syria for more than 8 years. She was also Research Engineer at Telmat in France for more than 3 years. Dr. Idlebi has an engineering degree and a PhD in Computer Engineering from France. PhD Computer Engineering University of Nancy 1Ecole Superieure d'Electricite (Supelec) idlebi@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementStrategic planning Economic and Social Impact of Open Government : Policy Recommendations for the Arab regionInnovation Policy for Inclusive Sustainable Development in the Arab RegionFostering Open Government in the Arab RegionTechnology and Innovation for developing land transport in the Arab regionInnovation Perspectives for Achieving SDGs in the Arab Region Digital Transformation, Emerging Technologies, Knowledge Economy |
| radia sedaoui | Chief energy | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 14: Life Below Water, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Ms. Radia Sedaoui is the Chief of Section in the Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability Cluster of the UN Economic Social Commission of West Asia (ESCWA) since 2016. Ms. Sedaoui bring more than 22 years of experience in both private and public sector, in energy, sustainable development and climate change, leadership and development of programs in the field, with track record and proven skills across several areas including negotiation of partnerships, mobilization of resources, international and intergovernmental co-operation and wide network of stakeholders Ms. Sedaoui has an extensive expertise in energy policy advice, renewable energy and energy efficiency, energy modeling, water-energy-food nexus, economic diversification and climate change policies and technologies, extractive industries, and carbon market developments. Ms. Radia previously served as Head Statistics and Gas Modeling Department at the Intergovernmental Organization of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and previously held several senior positions in Algeria with “Sonatrach” as Director of Strategy and Corporate, Head Portfolio management and member of the Board of Directors of Sonatrach affiliates in Upstream, Midstream and Trading. Ms. Sedaoui holds a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering, master in petroleum economics and an MBA. Ms. Radia is the President of the “Arab Energy Club” and a member of the International Association for Energy Economics. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling, Fiscal Management & Policies, Industrial Development, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade MBAIndustrial engineering Robert Gorden UniversityPolytechnical School sedaoui@un.org Circular Economy, Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management, Natural Resource Scarcity Governance Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management - Arab environment in 10 Year, Chapter on “Sustainable energy pathways for Arab region”, Arab Forum for Environment and Sustainable Development (2017)- Reducing Gas Flaring in Arab Countries: A Sustainable Development Necessity (2019)- Policy Brief for the T20, G20, Climate change and environmental sustainability, “A carbon management system of innovation: Towards a circular carbon economy” (2020)High level Dialogue on Energy (2021): Theme Report Enabling SDGs through Inclusive, Just energy transitions”, Policy Brief for the T20, G20, Climate change and environmental sustainability, Coastal challenges: Mainstreaming climate action in the G20 development agenda Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Poverty Reduction, Youth Empowerment Statistics |
| Mehrinaz Elawady | Director, Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Mehrinaz El Awady is the Cluster Leader of Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development. She previously served as ESCWA Director for the Centre for Women. Prior to this she served as ESCWA Senior SWAP Coordinator in charge of mainstreaming gender within the organization. She has a long record in development organization and management at the grassroots and the policy levels. Prior to her career as an International Civil Servant, she was the Youth and Women Regional Advisor for Save the Children, where she conducted research, situation analysis and proposal development on gender related and human rights issues in the Arab world. Before joining Save the Children, El Awady worked for several International Development organizations such as Education Development Center, Center for Development and Population Activities, and Care International. She holds a bachelor in Economics from Cairo University, a Masters in International Development from the American University in Cairo, and a PhD in Politics and International Studies from the University of Leeds, UK. Her current research areas include social and economic inequalities, gender mainstreaming, combating violence against women, and gender justice in the Arab World. She is a national of Egypt, married and has one daughter. PhD University of Leeds elawady@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Inequality in the Arab region: A time ticking bombStatus of Arab Women: What is At StakeParental Policies: A Catalyst for gender equality Aging, Disability, Inequality, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection, Youth Empowerment |
| Mona Fattah | Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Mona Fattah is a Social Affairs Officer focusing on inequality and social protection at Cluster 2 on Gender Justice, Population, and Inclusive Development at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA). Ms. Fattah is currently a member of the Social Protection Team in charge of the UNESCWA Comprehensive Social Protection Reform Support Programme. She also acts as the Coordinator of the ESCWA initiative “Josour” addressing youth unemployment in the Arab region. She brings over 17 years of experience with UNESCWA focusing on socio-economic and sustainable development issues supported by an academic background in project management, and ten years of managerial experience in the private sector where she served also as special assistant to the CEO who was a Minister for two terms and a member of the parliament in Lebanon for two cycles. Ms. Fattah holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and an Executive Master’s degree in Business Management (Project Management), both from the Lebanese American University, Beirut. Ms. Fattah is pursuing her Doctorate Studies in Business Administration (DBA) - Project Management at Walden University, Washington, USA. Executive MBABachelor Degree in Business Management Lebanese American UniversityLebanese American University fattahm@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support Inequality in the Arab region: A Ticking Time BombArab Development Outlook: Vision 20303rd LAS-UN Arab MDGs Report 2010 Inequality, Social Protection, Youth Empowerment |
| Fouad Mrad | Senior Programme manager | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Expert in innovation and technology transfer, PhD in Robotics and Control Automation PhD Purdue University mrad@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Big Data, Emerging Technologies, Knowledge Economy, SDG Monitoring |
| Salma Al-Nims | Chief, Section on Gender Equality | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Prior to appointment at ESCWA, Dr. Salma Al-Nims served as the Secretary General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women from 2014-2022. During her tenure she led the development and adoption of Jordan’s first and Second National Action Plans for Women, Peace and Security. The first plan was sighted as best practice in the UN Secretary General reports on WPS Agenda for its participatory approach, strong monitoring and evaluation frameworks, implementation through a joint fund, and for having an outcome tackling the role of women in PVE. She also led the nationwide participatory process for the development of the National Strategy for Women in Jordan (2020 -2025) with its full alignment with SDG5 and other relevant SDG targets. Dr. Al-Nims holds a PhD. in Development Planning (2004) and a MSc. in Sustainable Development (1998) from University College London, University of London. She has more than 20 years’ experience in the areas of Gender and development. She provided professional development and gender consultancy services to several government and international organisations. Those included: the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Education, UNDP, UNWomen, UNFPA, UNICEF and CIDA. Dr. Al-Nims was as a member of the Advisory Group to the High-Level Task Force on Financing for Gender Equality for the United Nations. She also served on the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Women Empowerment and co-chaired the “National Committee on Pay Equity” with the SG of the Ministry of Labour and the “Gender Partners Coordination Group” with the EU Ambassador to Jordan and UN Women Country Representative in Jordan. In 2019, She received Said Foundation Outstanding Achievement Prize, which is awarded to individuals judged to have contributed significantly to the development of the Arab region. PhD Development PlanningMSc Environmentally Sustainable Development University College LondonUniversity College London salma.al-nims@un.org Governance, Human Rights, Institutional Development Capacity buildingProject managementStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support 'Harnessing the Power of Women', in Women’s Involvement in Peace, Security and Transition Processes in the Arab World (ed), Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung & Musawa/ Women’s Studies Center, Conferene papers, IntroductionSustainable Urbanisation: Bridging the Green and Brown Agendas, UN-Habitat, DFID, DPU . Published by the UN-HABITAT and DFID in the context of the World Environmental Summit, Johannesburg.Nims, Salma (2004), ‘The dynamics of socio-environmental conflict of land reform in Jordan: a political ecology perspective’, Published working paper, European University Institute, Florence. Inequality |
| Jan Gaska | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Jan Gaska is an Economic Affairs Officer at UN-ESCWA. Jan has more than 10 years of professional experience, mainly in the area of public policy analysis, climate and labour general equilibrium and econometric modelling. Prior to joining the UN, Jan has worked for as a Consultant for the World Bank and for leading polish think-tanks (IBS, WISE Institute) as both team leader and team member within project aimed at public policy analysis, impact assessment and development of the large general equilibrium as well as econometric models both with policy and scientific focus. Jan is a holder of an PHD in Economics from Warsaw School of economics and a BA and MA in Mathematics from Warsaw University. Economic Modeling, Fiscal Management & Policies Economics PhDEconomics Master Warsaw School of EconomicsWarsaw School of Economics jan.gaska@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProgramming |
| Salim Araji | Economics Affairs officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Dr. Salim Araji is an Economist at the UN-Economic and Social Commission for western Asia (ESCWA). His research agenda at ESCWA is focused on employment creation, skills matching and economic diversification. Dr. Araji is currently leading ESCWA’s future of work initiative and the ESCWA skills monitor to see the relation between Arab skills and jobs and the Fourth Industrial Revolution using state-of-the-art Machine learning techniques. He has multiple academic publications on economic growth, macroeconomics and the macroeconomic effect of natural resource revenues. He is an associate research fellow at the Economic Research Forum (ERF). He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin with a special interest in macroeconomics, economic development and growth. He also has an MBA in finance and a bachelor’s degree in finance. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling, Fiscal Management & Policies P.Hd University of Wisconsin araji@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Natural resources incentives and human capital: Reinterpreting the curse Natural resource revenues: Effect on the pattern of domestic investments relative to international assets investments Targeting debt in Lebanon using a structural macro-econometric model Big Data, Knowledge Economy, Statistics |
| Ziad Abdallah | Data scientist | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 15: Life on Land Ziad Abdallah is a data scientist in the cluster 4 in ESCWA. he was a statistician, head of IT at the Central Administration of Statistics for the past twenty years. He has been responsible for many different statistical projects, including, the census of establishments and buildings (2002), the PAPFAM survey (2004), the Population and Housing Census in Palestinian Camps and Gatherings in Lebanon (2017), and as head of the consumer price index. he was the focal point of the Central Administration of Statistics in the Disaster and Risk Unit in Lebanon. He was graduated from Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Analyse de l'Information (ENSAI) with a degree of engineer in statistics and holder of a PhD in IT from Beirut Arab University. He was also tutor in the Lebanese University since 1998, Beirut Arab University (BAU) since 2013, Institut des Sciences Appliquées et Economiques (ISAE) Associated center of CNAM-Paris-France since 1999, and Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA)-Lebanon since 2009 for many courses related to Statistics, Computer Sciences, data science, and Information Systems PhD Beirut Arab University ziad.abdallah@un.org Climate Change, Food Security Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgramming Big Data, Statistics |
| Geetha Nayak | Biodiversity and Ecosystems Coordinator | UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 14: Life Below Water, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Geetha Nayak is an Ecology and Environmental Science specialist with over 10 years of experience in development sector, research, and academia. She obtained her Ph.D. from Pondicherry University, India. Geetha did her post-doctorate at the Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, University of Reading, UK, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA. She was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Post-Doctoral Fellowship in 2011-2012. Her work focused on the effect of land use intensification on ecosystem services delivered by pollinators in forests and agroecosystems. Before joining UNEP West Asia, she worked for GIZ India; She is experienced in implementing complex projects involving laws and policies related to biodiversity and natural resource management to contribute to SDGs and national commitment to international conventions on biodiversity and environment. She has an excellent track record in building strategic partnerships and institutional engagement with multi-stakeholders, including ministries, government agencies, local communities, and the private sector, to achieve the desired impact. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Master of Science (MS) Pondicherry University, IndiaPondicherry University, India geetha.nayak@un.org Agriculture, Climate Change, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementStrategic planningTeam management The Allometry of Bee Proboscis Length and Its Uses in Ecology (2016)Interactive effect of floral abundance and semi-natural habitats on pollinators in field beans (Vicia faba)Pollinator limitation and the effect of breeding systems on plant reproduction in forest fragments.Community protocols for pastoralists and livestock keepersCommunication Strategy for Access and Benefit Sharing in India – A Handbook for Decision-makers and Practitioners |
| Sukaina Al-Nasrawi | Lead of Sustainable Urban Development Portfolio | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Dr. Sukaina Al-Nasrawi leads the sustainable urban development portfolio at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA). In collaboration with international, regional, national, and local stakeholders, she advances policy on urban resilience, localization of global development goals, smart and inclusive cities in the Arab region. Dr. Al-Nasrawi has diverse international professional experience in socio-economic development, gender equality, statistics, and technology, within the umbrella of sustainable development. She has a distinguished record of notable publications on smart sustainable cities, multidimensionality of smartness of cities, technology for development, the 4th industrial revolution, among others. Dr. Al-Nasrawi has received several awards in recognition of her contribution to research and development. This includes the best research award of the 15th European conference on e-government held in the United Kingdom in 2015 and the United Nations gold award on advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in 2016. She holds a PhD in Information Technology focused on smart sustainable cities. Doctor of Philosophy in Information Technology for Development (Specialty: Smart Sustainable Cities) University of Portsmouth (United Kingdom) and Beirut Arab University (Lebanon)University of Portsmouth (United Kingdom) and Beirut Arab University (Lebanon) al-nasrawi@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject managementTeam management A conceptual multidimensional model for assessing smart sustainable citiesPlanning and Designing Smart Sustainable Cities: The Centrality of Citizens EngagementA Validated Model for Citizen Engagement and Smartness of CitiesCombating Cyber Violence Against Women and Girls: An Overview of the Legislative and Policy Reforms in the Arab RegionAll my publications are accessible at my research gate profile at: Education, Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship Digital Transformation, Emerging Technologies, Knowledge Economy, SDG Monitoring, Statistics Municipal Development, Smart Cities, Urban Development |
| Wael AlAshhab | Head of Country Programme | UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
| GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Mr. Wael Al-Ashhab, a Jordanian/Canadian National, holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering with more than 35 years of experience on policy development and programme management including 15 years in the private sector, in different capacities, inter alia including; project/programme management pertaining to urban and regional planning, and design and implementation of a wide range of infrastructure projects with distinguished international consulting engineering companies in a number of countries in the Arab region and Africa. He has been working for the United Nations as an International Professional for the last 23 years. He worked for UNICEF Iraq between the years 1999 and 2007 in the planning, design and implementation of basic services and community infrastructure. Mr. Al-Ashhab joined UN-Habitat Iraq Programme in March 2007 as the Manager of Infrastructure and Basic Services Pillar until May 2011 when he was assigned as the Head of Country Programme for Sudan until June 2018, then he was assigned as the Head of Country Programme for Yemen and was reassigned as the Head of Country Programme in Iraq in January 2020 and continued to hold the position as Acting Head of Yemen Programme. He acquired extensive experience on leading country programmes in these countries, inter alia, includes policy and strategy formulation on urbanization and housing, and planning, design and implementation of community-based intervention linking humanitarian, peace building and recovery/development interventions. BSc. in Civil Engineering Mosul University wael.alashhab@un.org ProgrammingProject managementResource mobilization |
| Mehmet Eris | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Mehmet N. Eris received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 2005. He is currently an economic affairs officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Council for Western Asia, after having served as an economist at the OECD and Central Bank of Turkey. He also served as a consultant to the World Bank and Central Bank of Turkey. His research interests are mainly in the fields of economic development and growth, international trade and macroeconomics. Trade PhD University of Wisconsin at Madison eris@un.org Data analysis |
| Federico Cocchioni | Senior Information Systems Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Federico Cocchioni is an Senior Informaiton Systems Officer of the UN Secretariat and the former Chief Technology Officer at the UN’s Regional Commission for Western Asia, as well as in the UNMEE and UNMEE peacekeeping missions. Federico has led dynamic teams of IT experts that deliver innovative software solutions to streamline the processes within the UN, including as Chief Information Management in the HR Division of Peacekeeping in New York Headquarters. He holds over 20 years of experience leading key functional improvements while in the Organization, updating the IT services and leading the Information Management strategy across New York Headquarters, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Thailand and Lebanon. Currently, Federico is part of a Team within ESCWA's "Statistics, Technology and Information Society Cluster", working on project about Data Innovations, ICT readiness and resilience in the regional public sector, as well as projects exploring the power of emerging digital technologies to develop public services in the Arab region. Computer Science Sapienza University of Rome cocchioni@un.org Capacity buildingProject managementStrategic planningTeam management Business Chief - United Nations: Digitally transforming to shape the future Digital Transformation, Emerging Technologies |
| Elie Mansour | Urban Planning and Design unit manager | UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
| GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 14: Life Below Water, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal I hold two masters degrees in civil engineering and urban planning. I am managing the urban planning & design unit at UN-Habitat offices in Lebanon. I had gained experience in crisis response and development and particularly in fields related to territorial planning and urban recovery frameworks, basic services and infrastructure, cultural heritage, environment solid waste and debris management, climate change and earthquakes. I lead a team of professionals to deliver projects and researches in the above mentioned fields. And I already engaged in several surge missions, the latest was to Türkiye earthquake affected areas following a request by UN-Habitat’s executive director. I stand ready to support UN missions all over the world for a better living planet for all. Masters in Civil engineering, Structures and public works Lebanese University elie.mansour@un.org Agriculture, Circular Economy, Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support Rubble to MoutainsBeirut damage assessmentWaste less Lebanon Municipal Development, Smart Cities, Urban Development |
| Miraq Aljubouri | Regional Coordinator for Science-Policy | UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme |
| GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 14: Life Below Water, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Miraq joined UNEP in 2020 as a national officer in Baghdad managing projects within science and ecosystems subprograms and working closely with UNEP’s partners in the Iraqi government and the international community. He then joined the UNEP Regional Office of West Asia in Beirut as Regional Coordinator Science-Policy Interface. Before that, Miraq was Country Manager for a GIZ-funded project helping the capacity development of youth in Iraq. Prior to that and while living in the USA, he spent eight years of his career as Project Manager with private-sector corporations, during which he managed and implemented information systems and data analysis platforms. His career started with the USAID in 2008 as a Programme Specialist working across multiple projects in Iraq supporting the government with science and economical governance. He holds an MBA from Walsh College in Michigan, and a B.Sc. in Microbiology from Mustansiriyah University in Baghdad. Miraq is an Iraqi National, fluent in Arabic and English. Masters of Business AdministrationBachelor of Science - Microbiology Walsh College - USAAlmustansiriyah University - Iraq miraq.al-jubouri@un.org Circular Economy, Climate Change, Natural Resource Scarcity Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationTeam management |
| Haidar Fraihat | Cluster Leader, Statistics, Information Society and Technology | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal With over 28 years of professional experience, Dr. Haidar Fraihat is now the leader of the Statistics and Technology Cluster at UN ESCWA. He is an expert on statistics, technology and innovation internet governance. He earning his Ph.D. in scientific management from Illinois Institute of Technology in 1992. He his Master’s degree in business administration focusing on management information systems from University of Bridgeport, USA in 1988, both degrees with excellence distinction. He has established a strong mix between theory, applied hands-on experience and public policy over the span of his diversified career. Haidar joined ESCWA in 2011 as a director of the ICT Division and director of the Technology Development Division in 2014 and got promoted to Senior Advisor on Technology and Innovation in 2019. Currently he is the Leader of the Statistics, Information Society, and Technology Cluster at UN ESCWA. Haidar presided several leadership and governmental positions in Jordan for a span of 6 years highlighted as the Director General of the Jordanian Department of Statistics and Director General of the National Information Technology Center (2006-2011). Before that, for a fruitful career embarked at 1992, Haidar started as a professor and lecturer in several local and international universities starting at Chicago State University, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Roosevelt University in USA, the University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia and the University of Sohar in Oman, Mutah University of and Petra and the University of Jordan in Jordan. Over the 28-year career, Haidar was a member of the Jordan entry negotiations for membership of the World Trade Organization, the Jordanian Privatization Team and the Jordanian-European Partnership Team after working as chief of the Information and Technology Department at the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Qatar and several memberships under the UN system. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling, Islamic Social Financing, Regional Integration and Mobility Ph.D. in Management ScienceMBA, in Management Information Systems. Illinois Institute of Technology, USAUniversity of Bridgeport, USA fraihat@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Big Data, Digital Transformation, Emerging Technologies, Knowledge Economy, SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Tarek Osseiran | Project Planning and Coordination | UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
| GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Deputy Head of UN-Habitat-Lebanon Country Programme – responsible for Programme planning and coordination. Over 30 years of extensive experience in the fields of local governance, urban, social and community development, gained through working with different Int’l and UN agencies, mainly with UNDP the World Bank, and UN-Habitat. Certified trainer on Participatory Assessment tools and techniques, Governance, Project Management, & others. Part time Teaching Instructor to master studies students at the University of Saint Joseph on “Partnership Strategies” and “Project Development”. Master degree in civil engineering Polytechnic Institute - Minsk - Belarus tarek.osseiran@un.org Governance, Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Municipal Development, Urban Development |
| Youssef Chaitani | Project Coordinator | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Youssef Chaitani is a Project Coordinator at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. Chaitani's focus areas are the political and development challenges of Arab countries in transition, including the governance deficit in the Arab world and the root causes as well as the spillover effects of conflicts. He has worked on a number of related studies for his organization, including The Governance deficient and conflict relapse. (E/ESCWA/ECRI/2011/1); Trends and Impacts in Conflict Settings: The Socio-Economic Impact of Conflict-Driven Displacement in the ESCWA Region, Issue No.1 (E/ESCWA/ECRI/2009/2); Unpacking the Dynamics of Communal Tensions (E/ESCWA/ECRI/2009/5); Lebanon’s Rebuilding and Revival: A Policy Paper with Initiatives, (UN ESCWA, December 2006) and Report of the Secretary-General on the economic and social repercussions of Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab Population in the Occupied Syrian Golan. (Annual Publication mandated by resolutions from the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council). During his over 22-year career with the United Nations, he has organized numerous conferences and missions catering to the aforementioned themes. Dr. Chaitani has published two books: Dissension Among Allies: Ernest Bevin's Palestine Policy Between Whitehall and the White House, 1945-47, London: Saqi Books, September 2000 and Post-Colonial Syria and Lebanon: The Decline of Arab Nationalism and the Triumph of the State, London: I.B. Tauris, 2007. Dr. Chaitani received his PhD in 2004 from the University of London, where he studied Political Sociology and his MA in Modern Middle Eastern History in 1997 from the American University of Beirut. PhD University of London chaitani@un.org Capacity buildingProject managementTeam management Post Colonial Syria and Lebanon |
| Fidele Byiringiro | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 15: Life on Land Mr. Byiringiro focuses on issues related to food security and agriculture with their linkages to the Sustainable Development Goals, food systems and food supply chains and trade. He also examines issues related to agricultural data and statistics as well as land degradation and desertification. Masters Michigan State University byiringiro@un.org Capacity buildingData analysis |
| Tarik Alami | Director/Cluster Leader | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal He oversees ESCWA’s Program on Governance, Conflict Mitigation and Development, which focuses on supporting Member States in conflict or post-conflict settings in enhancing institutional capacities in conflict prevention and foster institutional development that aim at achieving SDGs. He has written, spoken and organized meetings on topics such as Impact of conflict, political and socio-economic development in countries afflicted by conflict, SDGs, National Dialogues; Challenges of Transition, Displacement, Governance Deficit, conflict relapse, Occupied Palestine. He has served the United Nations in several capacities. He has been the Director, a.i of Economic development and Globalization Division; Director, a.i. of Economic Analysis Division and served as head of Macroeconomic Policy Unit. Dr. Alami was assistant to Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 1992 and a professor of Economics at the American University of Beirut from 1996-2004. He taught International Trade, International Finance and Advanced Microeconomics. He has published several articles including in: Journal of Policy Modeling, Journal of Economics and Business, Journal of Macroeconomics, Journal of Economic Studies, Journal of Development and Economic Policies and Arab Economic Journal. He graduated with a B. A. in Economics from Bir-Zeit University, Palestine; M.A. from George Mason University in Virginia-USA and a Ph.D. in Monetary Economics from the American University in Washington DC-USA. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade Ph.D. EconomicsM.A. Economics The American University; Washington DC, USAGeorge Mason University; Virginia, USA alamit@un.org Governance, Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management “Counter-Argumentation on a Comment of tarik H. Alami’s Currency Substitution Versus Dollarization: A Portfolio Balance Model; Journal of Policy ModelingReforming Intellectual Property Rights Regimes in Developing Countries: Economic Implications and Related Public Policies,” Currency Substitution Versus Dollarization: A Portfolio Balance Model,Dollarization in Egypt: Further Evidence“The Federal Rates and the Arbitrage Pricing Theory: Evidence that Monetary Policy Matters |
| AlTayeb AlDajani | Programme Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 14: Life Below Water, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Currently an Economic Advisor in the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. Earlier, the CEO of a Holding Company since 2006, and Founder and Managing Partner of an advisory firm in Kuwait and Dubai, I am specialised in Islamic banking, companies restructuring and funds management. I have conducted studies for urban development projects such as Sabah Al-Ahmad Residential City in the State of Kuwait. Also, over 38 years of experience in the fields of Institutional Investments, Corporate Finance, Global Economics and Risk Assessment. Between September 2003 and 2007, he was a Lecturer on Islamic Money and Banking, Islamic Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking Services at The Institute of Banking Studies, the State of Kuwait. For the period spanning, Sept. 1997 and March 1998, he was the Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School, Comparative Legal Studies Program. Islamic Social Financing Masters American University AlTayeb.AlDajani@UN.ORG Capacity buildingCommunicationProject managementStrategic planningTeam management |
| Mohamed Abd salam EL Vilaly | Sustainable Development Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 14: Life Below Water, GOAL 15: Life on Land Mohamed Abd Salam El Vilaly received a B.Sc. in water resources management from the University of Nouakchott, Mauritania in 2001, a Specialized M.Sc. degree (diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées ) in groundwater management from the University of Grenoble, France in 2003, a Research M.Sc. degree (Diplôme d'études approfondies ) in hydrology from the University of Avignon and the Vaucluse, France in 2004, and a Ph.D. degree in applied remote sensing for Earth Sciences from the University of Arizona, the United States. in 2013. Mohamed Abd Salam has worked for over 16 years in the humanitarian, academic, and private sectors. His research focuses on integrating and analyzing multitemporal airborne and satellite remote sensing data with GIS technologies to monitor and model human-environment interactions across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Specifically, Abd Salam’s work intersects the concepts of big data analytics, decision-making, planning and management, and the development of online data and knowledge exploration tools. Ph.D. University of Arizona, United States mohamed.elvilaly@un.org Agriculture, Circular Economy, Climate Change, Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management ‘Mauritania’s Internal Migration Dynamics and Trends in Response to Rainfall Variability and ChangeAccess to paediatric surgery: the geography of inequality in Nigeria.Vulnerability Assessment of the Water sector to Climate change in JordanCharacterizing Drought Effects on Vegetation Productivity in the Four Corners Region of the US Southwest Vegetation Productivity Responses to Drought on Tribal lands in the Four Corners Region of the Southwest U.S |
| Milad Pournik | Associate Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality Milad Pournik is working as an Associate Social Affairs Officer at ESCWA. He works on the aging and migration portfolios, mainly conducting research, outreach, and technical assistance (especially for Somalia). He has a wealth of experience as a gender equality researcher and advocate with experience working in international development, bolstering global reach and policy impact of academia and international organizations. Milad worked as a HeforShe Masculinities Programme Consultant with UN Women’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. He has worked as a Policy Analyst for the World Policy Analysis Center (WORLD) at UCLA. Milad also served as a consultant for the World Bank’s Gender and Development team and with Management Systems International (MSI). During his tenure as a Research Associate with the Global Gender Program at George Washington University, he published a working paper on Civil Society Organizations and Empowerment of Women and Girls in Iran. Prior to beginning his professional career, Milad interned with the Women’s National Committee of Yemen and UNDP’s Regional Centre for Arab States. Milad received an MA in Global Policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at and an MA in Economics & International Relations from the University of St. Andrews. He recently completed an MSc in Impact Evaluation for International Development at the University of East Anglia. MSc in Impact Evaluation for International DevelopmentMaster of Global Policy University of East AngliaUniversity of Texas at Austin milad.pournik@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisVNR Preparations/Support Aging, Population Dynamics & Migration |
| Amal Phleem | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Phleem is an Economic Affairs officer UNESCWA, Governance and Conflict Prevention Cluster, working on governance and economic issues of the Arab region with focus on Yemen. Prior to joining ESCWA Phleem was an Economist with the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies focusing on the political economy of Yemen and a consultant on economic policy and development. She is a contributor in the book 'The Impact and Influence of International Financial Institutions on the Middle East and North Africa' (2020). Her writing and analysis are featured in media outlets such as Al-Monitor, the Financial Times, and Reuters. Phleem holds a master’s of science in industrial and network economics from the Berlin Institute of Technology, where she also received her B.Sc in Economics. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies M.Sc. in Industrial and Network EconomicsB.Sc. in Economics Berlin Institute of TechnologyBerlin Institute of Technology amal.phleem@un.org Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingCommunicationProject managementTeam management The Impact and Influence of International Financial Institutions on the Middle East and North AfricaYemen Urgently Needs a Unified Fiscal Policy Response to COVID-19Feminist visions of the future of work Inequality, Social Protection |
| Nanor Karageozian | Urban Analysis and Policy Unit Manager | UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
| GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Dr. Nanor Karageozian leads the Urban Analysis and Policy Unit at UN-Habitat Lebanon. She manages multiple urban research (e.g. city and neighbourhood profiling) and policy projects, which also have capacity-building, knowledge exchange, and advocacy components. Before joining UN-Habitat, from 2016 till 2018, Dr. Karageozian was an Assistant Professor and the Armenian Studies Department Director at Haigazian University, Lebanon, where she taught courses on migration and diaspora studies, identity, intercultural studies, and contemporary Armenian (political) history. Dr. Karageozian has over 15 years of experience in research projects and in writing/editing a wide range of print and online publications. At UN-Habitat Lebanon, she leads the unit responsible for research/normative work, including GIS/Information Management. She serves as senior editor of most key UN-Habitat Lebanon publications, and she regularly contributes to regional publications. Also, she has undertaken social science research consultancies on refugee/diaspora issues, such as for the Rights for Time Project and the Armenian Diaspora Survey project. Previously, she worked as Senior Web Content Editor at the Lebanese American University’s Marketing and Communications Department and as Graduate Research Assistant at the American University of Beirut (AUB)’s Political Studies and Public Administration Department. She was also a freelance editor for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in socioeconomic development, culture and education fields. Both at UN-Habitat and at Haigazian University, she has overseen departmental/project communication plans, organized events and outreach activities, and contributed to the mobilization of new funds and development/coordination of partnerships with the public and private sectors, academic and research institutions (within and outside Lebanon), United Nations agencies, and local/international NGOs. She has been UN-Habitat Lebanon’s focal person in several humanitarian/development coordination bodies related to programme management, data and statistics, gender, etc. Dr. Karageozian holds a DPhil in International Development from the University of Oxford, UK, and an M.A. in Public Administration from AUB, Lebanon. Doctor of PhilosophyMaster of Arts University of OxfordAmerican University of Beirut nanor.karageozian@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Bridging the Mobility–Sedentarism and Agency–Structure Dichotomies in the Study of Diasporic Return MigrationDreaming of the Mountain, Longing for the Sea, Living With Floating Roots: Diasporic ‘Return’ Migration in Post-Soviet Armenia Population Dynamics & Migration Statistics Urban Development |
| Rouba ARJA | Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality My current work focuses on gender and development issues in the Arab region including mainstreaming gender equality in public institutions and women’s economic empowerment. I am leading ESCWA’s work on women’s economic empowerment including on the care economy stream. Prior to joining ESCWA, I worked as Programme Manager with the European Union Delegation to Lebanon leading the Social and Local Development portfolio. I was responsible for the technical assistance of an 18-million portfolio for the host communities in Lebanon affected by the Syrian crisis. I also served with UNDP as Project Manager leading on the implementation of three conflict prevention and peace building projects in Lebanon. Before joining UNDP, I worked with ESCWA on the coordination of projects on water and agriculture in Lebanon building on my experience in this field on several research projects in France. My professional experience is articulated around three main pillars including (i) research and development of knowledge products; (ii) managerial and coordination functions and fields experience in prevention, post conflict and peace building and development contexts; and (iii) organization of intergovernmental processes and technical cooperation activities. I hold a Ph.D in Management and a Masters in Development Economics from the University of Montpellier-France. Doctorate ès Science de GestionDiplome d'Etudes Approfondies en Economie du Developpment Agricole, Agro-alimentaire et Rurale University Montpellier IENSA.M arja@un.org Agriculture, Climate Change, Water Capacity buildingProject management Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship |
| Mitchell Morrison | Associate Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality I lived in Istanbul, Turkey for 9 years, working first as a translator and editor before earning my Master’s in Political Science from Bogazici University in 2018. My thesis was a methodological review of research on European state integration/migration policies. I then interned in the Istanbul Regional Hub of UNDP and UNICEF, focusing on monitoring and evaluation, and analyzing the results of governance and peacebuilding and gender equality projects in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. I worked as a M&E/project officer with Terre des Hommes NL, a Dutch NGO focusing on children’s rights and combating child exploitation and labor. My technical background is in monitoring and evaluation (mainly setting up monitoring frameworks for new projects and advising on participatory research methodologies) and I have a wide range of thematic interests, including equitable economic and social development, participatory governance, gender equality, and children’s rights and participation. Currently at ESCWA I research and provide analysis to issues regarding gender equality, specifically barriers towards women joining the workforce in the Arab States. M.A in Political Science Bogazici University mitchell.morrison@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProgrammingProject management Education, Inequality, Population Dynamics & Migration, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection |
| Salma Yousry | Programme Manager | UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
| GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Salma Yousry is an Egyptian Architect and Urban Planner, with more than 15 years of Experience in the field. Currently, she is the Urban Development Programme Manager in UN-Habitat Egypt office. Salma’s UN experience started in 2013 as Governance and Legislation Officer, then Programme Officer for Housing and Urban Development. During her recent years, she worked closely with key partners and stakeholders to enable innovative impact at both policy and implementation levels. Her achievements include leading the support to the first Egyptian rights-based National Housing Strategy, the new participatory urban upgrading and development approach, and innovative mechanisms that enabled provision of clean drinking water to more than 2 million people in priority areas in Egypt. Prior to that, Salma worked on a number of architectural and urban planning projects in Egypt with local, national and international partners. Salma holds a PhD from Ain Shams University, Egypt in Urban Development, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Housing and Land Management from the Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Rotterdam, Netherlands. PhD Urban Development Masters in Architecture Ain Shams UniversityAin Shams University salma.yousry@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Urban Development Management towards Improved City Prosperity (The Case study of Egypt)Revolutionizing the planning process in Egypt (Decentralizing Powers and Actions).How Can Cities Lead Real Change? Lessons learned from the Egyptian urban management system. Urban Development |
| Mustafa Ansari | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal With over 10 years of international experience working and managing multidisciplinary teams, I have developed a solid background in sustainable energy, renewable energy policies, strategy development financing and technology. As an Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations, I cover matters relating to clean energy, extractive industries, technology and sustainable development. I have the privilege to interact and work with talented and likeminded individuals, from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, to drive effective policies, through various research and analytical activities, workshops and participation in public forums. Previously I served as Senior Economist at APICORP where I was responsible for the implementation of the strategy for the newly formed Energy unit and led the work on the company’s monthly commentary as well as its Annual Energy Investment Outlook. Prior to that, I worked at the UK’s department of Energy and climate change (now BEIS), rotating between energy efficiency, industrial heat strategy, power and international and domestic oil and gas markets. My Practical experience is backed by a bachelors degree in Economics and a masters in Development Economics as well as certification in Agile Project Management. I am regularly invited as a keynote speaker and panellist at global forums and conferences to discuss critical challenges pertaining to the Middle East and North Africa, with my research cited periodically in major media outlets including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters, Al-Arabiya and CNBC. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies MSc Development EconomicsBSc Economics SOAS (University of London)City (University of London) mustafa.ansari@un.org Circular Economy, Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management, Natural Resource Scarcity ProgrammingProject managementStrategic planningTeam management MENA: LNG’s top growth targetOil producers shift their focus back to refiningMENA Energy Investment Outlook 2020-2024MENA Energy Investment Outlook 2019 |
| Rabih Bashour | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Economic affairs officer at ESCWA working on contextual analysis, communications, and policy advice to mitigate the social and economic impact conflict and occupation, with focus on the occupied Palestinian territory. Licence Lebanese University bashour@un.org Human Rights, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingCommunicationResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management |
| Majed Hamoudeh | Trade Statistician | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Performed multiple tasks since 2004 at ESCWA: a) Economic affairs officer, April 2004 to October 2010: 1- Capacity building in trade policy and negotiations 2- Conducted research on trade issues of interest for the Arab countries 3- Participated in publications including the survey on economic and social developments in the Arab region 4- led a DA project on trade facilitation 5) Organized IGMs, seminars and training workshops 6) Provided technical assistance to member countries in the area of trade policy and negotiations b) Trade Statistician: from Oct 2010 till the present: 1) Published two annual bulletins on industrial statistics and external trade of the |Arab region 2) Developed databases in -house on industrial and trade statistics 3) Published external trade profiles for the Arab region (2019-2019) 4) Organized many meetings on industrial and trade classifications to develop statistics in the Arab region (ISIC, CPC, HS) 5) developed partnerships in data collection and publication with UNSD, UNIDO and AIDMO 6) Developed a detailed portal for external statistics of the Arab region and trade indicators 7) Provided technical assistance in industrial and trade classifications 8) Participated in IGMs related to trade statistics and policy Trade Master in International Policy Management Tsukuba University hamoudeh@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProject managementTeam management |
| Ahmad ELATRASH | Programme Analyst | UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
| GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Ahmad El-Atrash is a Palestinian spatial planner and urban development specialist. He has extensive experience of more than 15 years working with think-tanks, academic institutions, NGOs, and UN agencies in issues related to geo-political and strategic planning, governance reform, resilience, and sustainable development. Ahmad is currently leading a humanitarian and development programme at UN-Habitat in the West Bank and Gaza Strip focusing on spatial planning, land management, and housing issues. Ahmad holds a BSc in Civil Engineering, MSc in Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture, and a PhD in Spatial Planning from TU-Dortmund University in Germany. Ph.D. in Spatial Planning TU−Dortmund University, Germany Ahmad.El-Atrash@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support Fostering Tenure Security and Resilience for Bedouin Communities in the so-called Area C of the West Bank, Palestine: Policy Framework and Implementation ToolsCompendium of Case Studies for the Implementation of The Urban-Rural Linkages: Guiding Principles and Framework for ActionRight to Develop: Planning Palestinian Communities in East JerusalemStatus Report on the Achievement of Goal 11 in Palestine: Sustainable Cities and CommunitiesPlacemaking Interventions in Palestine as Demonstration Effects on the Ground Municipal Development, Urban Development |
| Rami Zaatari | Senior Digital and Technology Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Rami Zaatari is a senior Data and Technology officer at the Statistics, Information Society, and Technology Cluster at ESCWA. Since joining in 2006, Rami headed the track on measuring ICT and digital development in the Arab region and oversaw the development of ESCWA’s biennial flagship publication the “Regional Profile of the Information Society in Western Asia”. He contributed to several technical studies on ICT measurement, provided capacity building to member states, and represented ESCWA in various regional and international ICT measurement and digital development forums. Rami also managed the digital transformation of ESCWA’s legacy statistical data and launched the ESCWA Data Portal in 2019. He is currently overseeing the implementation and adoption of the Arab Digital Agenda (ADA), and the UN initiative on global geospatial information management in the region and represents his organization at the UN-GGIM meetings and events. Before joining ESCWA, He held several positions in telecom, software development, and teaching in the US and the Arab region. Rami holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer and Communications from the American University of Beirut and an MS degree in Software Engineering from Boston University. He is currently pursuing a GIS degree from Johns Hopkins University. Bachelor of Engineering in Computer and CommunicationsMaster of Science in Software Engineering American University of BeirutBoston University zaatari@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProgramming Regional Profile of the Information Society in the Arab Region 2013Regional Profile of the Information Society in the Arab Region 2015Prospects of Innovation and Technology in Official Statistics Digital Transformation, Emerging Technologies, Knowledge Economy, Statistics |
| MEHTAP IPEK DEDEOGLU | STATISTICIAN | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality I am a statistician with a master’s degree in Economics, and PhD in Administrative Sciences. Since February 2022 I have been working at UN ESCWA department of Statistics, Information Society and Technology as an associate statistician. My main responsibilities are working on population censuses and CRVS project for Arab countries. I have been selected as the PSA level B expert and my name was inserted into the Gender Statistics Roster in at FAO (Office of Chief Statistician (OCS)) for two years in 2021. Before participating ESCWA, I worked as an expert at the Turkish Statistical Institute for 24 years. 16 of which I spent in the Short-Term Business Statistics Department between 2007-2022. I worked in the Social Statistics Department between 1999-2004. I subsequently joined the Labor Force Statistics team as team leader, a post I occupied for two years. I have experience in the capacity development programme of ESCWA member countries and SDG indicators. I have experience analyzing data, preparing report, designing questionnaires and survey field studies related to child labour, household labour force, social statistics, short-term industrial statistics, population censuses, poverty and CRVS. I also have strong computer skills that include very efficient use of SAS, and Microsoft Office. I have a published book on poverty in Turkish. The Effects of Social Assistance on Poverty in Türkiye. Published in Turkish (publisher Orion Kitabevi ISBN 978-625-8307-32-0, 2022, ANKARA) Published Article DEDEOGLU, M. Ipek, KALE, H. Tancan, “Structure of Turkish Labor Market and Women's Poverty”, Journal of Social Security World, no:101, pp. 120-146, March-April 2021, Ankara. Industrial Development Ph.D.Master Degree Ankara UniversityHacettepe University ipek.dedeoglu@un.org Capacity buildingData analysis The Effects of Social Assistance on Poverty in Türkiye. Published in TurkishStructure of Turkish Labor Market and Women's Poverty”, Journal of Social Security World, no:101, pp. 120-146, March-April 2021, Ankara. Inequality, Population Dynamics & Migration, Poverty Reduction Knowledge Economy, SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Alaa Sebeh | Regional Adviser on Disability | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Dr Sebeh started his medical career in psychiatric studies but moved to Public Health and Rehabilitation and focused his work on childhood disabilities. He holds a doctorate in Community-Based Rehabilitation from the Institute of Child Health, University College of London. He has over 30 years of field experience. Dr. Alaa Sebeh has been the Regional Disability Advisor of UN ESCWA since Mid-May 2019. Before joining ESCWA, he worked as an independent international consultant on disability for nine years. During this period, he provided nearly 60 consultations to various UN agencies, INGOs, and governments in 20 countries. Until August 2010, he held an international post with Save the Children UK as Regional MENA Regional Advisor on Disability & Child Protection since January 2000. His work involves providing consultations and technical assistance at both regional and national levels, mainly to the governmental authorities, to develop national systems & policies as well as best practices promoting the empowerment, non-discrimination, and inclusion of persons with disabilities in mainstream services and policies, particularly in social, education and health services. Dr. Sebeh has been providing consultancy support, mainly on Participatory Evaluation & Planning, Developing National Strategies & Policies, Capacity Building, to the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank, the Arab League, UNRWA, UNFPA, ILO, Mission East, NFU, NAD and other agencies in several MENA countries and worldwide in the fields of disability and child protection. He worked in 20 countries, among them Morocco, Macedonia, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, Armenia, Zanzibar..etc. Dr. Sebeh is specifically supporting the disability works of the World Health Organization in EMRO. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Global CBR Network. Before joining ESCWA, he joined the international consultancy teams of EENET-CIC and ‘Family for Every Child’ based in the UK in 2012. MD Ph.D. UCL (University College of London alaa.sebeh@un.org Capacity buildingProgrammingTeam management disabilty publications Disability, Education, Health |
| Marwan Khawaja | Chief of Section | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality I am a social demographer with more than 30 years of research experience in both international organizations and academic institutions. I received my Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1991. I am currently Chief of the Demographic and Social Statistics Section of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA) in Beirut, Lebanon. Formerly I was Professor and the founding Director of the Center for Research on Population and Health at the American University of Beirut (2000-2008), and served on the faculty of Syracuse University, Birzeit University and Yale University. I was a co-founder and vice President of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, a Research Coordinator at Fafo (Norway), an elected Council member of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) from 2010-2013, an Advisory Board member of Applied Health and Development Research Network (AHEAD), and a founding member of the Arab Council of Social Sciences and the Middle East Health Policy Forum. My current work revolves around Arab demography, forced migration/refugees, poverty and domestic violence. I have published extensively on these topics, and my work appeared in Population Studies, the Lancet, Population, Journal of Population Research, Social Forces, Sociological Forum, Social Science Research, Social Science and Medicine, American Journal of Public Health, Health Policy and Planning, International Migration, and Economic Development and Cultural Change among others. I co-edited (with I. Nuwayhid, S. Jabbour and Rita Giacaman) a book entitled Public Health in the Arab World for Cambridge University Press (2012), a Special issue of the journals Violence Against Women on Gender Based Violence in the Middle East (2013) and Global Public Health on Violent Conflict and Population Health in the Middle East and North Africa (2011). I also served on the Editorial Board of the volume, Handbook of Asian Demography, (Routledge, 2018). Ph.D. Cornell University khawaja@un.org Data analysis Arab Society: Demographic and Social Trends “Health and ecological sustainability in the Arab World: A matter of durvival”,The Lancet 383, 9915: 458-76.Gender based Violence in the Middle East and North Africa: Introduction to Special Issue. Violence Against Women 2013; 19(3): 291-294.Women’s acceptance of wife abuse in Iraq: Prevalence rates and the role of female empowerment characteristics”, Journal of Family Violence Public Health in the Arab World. Cambridge University Press. 2012. Health, Inequality, Population Dynamics & Migration, Poverty Reduction Statistics |
| Fathia AbdelFadil Kaddoura | Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Holds a first degree in Statistics and Economics, master’s degree in Statistics and a Diploma degree in Development planning Techniques. Has a long experience in socio-economic issues and statistics. I started her career in ESCWA Statistics Division (SD) as a team leader of Trade and Transport Statistics Team and later a team leader of Social and Demographic Statistics Team, have worked in Economic Development and Globalization Division (EDGD) in ESCWA as a First Economic Affairs officer for three years dealing with transport and trade facilitation issues. I have been involved in a number of capacity building activities during my assignments in SD, and EDGD in various areas of statistics, economics and social issues, including international trade, e. commerce, transport, population, poverty, labour, employment, social indicators, trade facilitation, single window for trade facilitation, supply chains and aid for trade, integrated economic statistics, short term economic indicators as well as sustainable development goals. I have a notable experience in project formulation, management, and monitoring. Currently, I am responsible for the disability program in ESCWA, under cluster: Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development, C 2, dealing with disability inclusion policy in various aspects, including inclusive employment policy. Trade Master's DegreeDiploma in Development Planning Techniques Addis Ababa UniversityInternational Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam abdelfadil@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject managementTeam management Disability |
| Mohamed Abdelbasset Chemingui | Senior economist | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Before joigning ESCWA in 2012 as senior economist chief of regional integration section I served 7 years at UNECA as P3 and P4 in trade division, four years as research scientist in Kuwait managing a national project on developing planning and simulation tools for the ministries of finances and planning, 2 years at the OECD as economist working on trade liberalization between Arab and EU countries and 2 years at the university of Montpellier France. Again before joigning ESCWA I led more than 50 projects with multiple donors mainly OECD EU WORLD BANK UNIDO ERF API GDN AfDB GDN IDRC and published more than 50 papers in international refereed journals and edited books. My major areas of expertise are international trade, modeling trade and economic policies, partial and general equilibrium models, trade and climate change, trade and poverty.. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade Ph D in international economics University of Montpellier France cheminguim@un.org Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementResource mobilization a long list available on internet |
| Majed Skaini | Statistician - Program Manager | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production Majed Skaini is an Economic Statistician at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA), working on the areas of price statistics and national accounts. He is also the Regional Program Manager for the International Comparison Program in the Arab Region managing the production of regional purchasing power parities and its integration with CPI and the development of new indices. He is also doing a lot of work on modernizing statistics and introducing innovation by supporting member countries in developing new price collection and extraction tools. Prior to joining the United Nations in 2006, he worked in different fields in the private sector including financial consulting, corporate development and finance. Majed also worked in Academia as an Economics instructor at the American University of Beirut. Majed has a Master’s degree in Financial Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematical Statistics, both from the American University of Beirut. Masters Degree in Financial EconomicsBachelors Degree in Mathematics American University of BeirutAmerican University of Beirut skaini@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilization Purchasing Power Parities and the Real Size of Arab EconomiesSynergies between CPIs and PPPs and Integration of Survey ActivitiesLebanon's Accession to the WTOQuality Assurance Framework and Enhanced Data Validation Procedures for ICP Price Surveys Big Data, Knowledge Economy, Statistics |
| Julie Bryhn | Associate Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Before joining Cluster 6 at ESCWA, Julie worked as a researcher at the think tank CEPS, where she focused on resource and climate change policies in the EU. Previously she worked on issues related to sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda when interning at UN DESA and at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, where she contributed to developing the 2nd edition of the SDG Index. She also has experience in programme management from the EEA and Norway Grants. Master in International Economic PolicyInternational Politics BSc (Hons) Sciences PoCity, University of London julie.bryhn@un.org Circular Economy, Climate Change Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Project management |
| Gustavo Nicolas Paez Salamanca | Social affairs officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 15: Life on Land Engineer and economist with a doctorate from the University of Cambridge. Gustavo started his work on Sustainable Development in 2012 working for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Colombia. Since then, he has worked in organizations such as UNFPA, World Bank and ESCWA, ODI, and WWF. His work has a strong quantitative focus and is dedicated to identifying policies that support SDG. In particular, he has worked for multiple countries in America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. He has done reports to support evidence-based policies, managed project implementation (mostly with rural and remote communities), developed capacity-building work and designed tailored analytical tools to match government needs. Behavioral Economics, Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling Doctorate in Economics University of Cambridge gustavo.paezsalamanca@un.org Agriculture, Climate Change, Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity Capacity buildingData analysisProgrammingProject management Education, Health, Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Population Dynamics & Migration, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection |
| Pietro Tornese | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Pietro Tornese is an international development specialist with 9 years of experience in conducting and managing policy-relevant research and analysis to tackle the world’s greatest challenges. He is currently Economic Affairs Officer at ESCWA’s Governance and Conflict Prevention cluster, where he advises Arab governments on transboundary risks and conflict prevention strategies. Prior to joining ESCWA, Pietro served at the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in New York, where he designed and managed award-winning programme evaluations in South Asia, East Africa, West Africa and Southern Africa on fiscal decentralization, climate finance, subnational governance, institutional reforms, and development finance. He has also worked for Ernst & Young, Open Evidence, and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean. As an independent consultant, Pietro has co-authored a number of policy papers, experimental and quasi-experimental research for the European Commission. He holds a MSc in Economics from Bocconi University. Behavioral Economics, Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies Master of Science in Economics and management of Public Administration and International Institutions Bocconi University pietro.tornese@un.org Climate Change Governance, Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Population Dynamics & Migration, Poverty Reduction |
| Ayman El-Sherbiny | Chief of Section - ICT Policies, Digital Cooperation, and Digital Development | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Ayman El-Sherbiny has more than 30 years of experience in the Telecom and IT domain; a senior International Development Strategist in the United Nations, and a former senior executive in a number of major multinational Technology companies, as well as in the Telecom and Internet Sector in Egypt and the Arab Region during the nineties till 2002. By mid-nineties, he became a serial entrepreneur. He co-founded and led, as President & CEO, several renowned ICT companies, including establishing two of the five licensed Internet Operators; acquiring more than 40% of internet market share in a record time, in addition to one of the leading systems integrators and one of the pioneering e-commerce companies & the first WAP partner to the main GSM operator. In 1999, he participated in co-drafting the first Telecom Law of Egypt that triggered the liberalization of the sector, instigated the National TRA of Egypt, and fuelled competition in the sector. By 2002, he joined the UN, and participated in establishing the ICT Division of ESCWA, spearheading Arab efforts pertaining to the WSIS in 2003 and 2005. Since 2011, he assumed the leadership for information society, digital economy and digital development as the Chief of Information and Communication Technology Policies at the ESCWA. During 20 years of tenure in the UN, he authored tens of publications on the Information Society; and has co-founded the Arab Internet Governance Forum and the Arab High-Level Forum on WSIS and 2030 Agenda; and the ESCWA-LAS joint project on Developing and Deployment of the Arab Digital Agenda. He led several international and regional initiatives including on Arabic Domain Names across several geographical groups. He is a regular speaker in international conferences. His current work focuses on global and regional Digital Cooperation and Development, Arab Digital Agenda, and the Summit for the Future. Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Finance for Development Master of International Business AdministrationB.SC. Telecom and Electronic Engineering, Distinction ESLSCA, Paris, FranceFaculty of Engineering, Ain-Shams University, Cairo el-sherbiny@un.org Governance, Institutional Development CommunicationProject managementResource mobilization Several UN Publications from 2005-2022 Digital Transformation, Emerging Technologies, Knowledge Economy, Statistics |
| Naeem Al-Mutawakel | Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Social scientist, with expertise in economic and social development and youth empowerment. MSc Development Studies LSE almutawakel@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysis Education, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Youth Empowerment |
| Ahmed Al-Awah | Chief Technology Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Mr. Al-Awah is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) where he plans, directs, and oversees strategic ICT programs and operations of the organization, assesses opportunities, and risks of emerging technologies, and advises ESCWA clusters and offices on state-of-the-art and future looking information, communication, and data technologies of potential value to organization’s core areas of work. Mr. Al-Awah also acts as the Business Transformation Lead for major system projects of significant importance to the institution which typically impact critical programs and operations and oversees the organization’s Digital Transformation Strategy. Previously, Mr. Al-Awah worked as Chief of the IT Strategic Advisory Services section of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) where he provided expert advice on complex systems and data analysis and design for the organization as well as Member States and identified the need for new systems and developed flagship technology initiatives for substantive programs and projects as well as solutions to meet the needs of Member States for integrated planning, policy and data technologies. Mr. Al-Awah’s 20+ year career has spanned many organizations in both the public and private sector including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the private sector in Canada (energy & high-tech industries). Behavioral Economics, Economic Modeling, Trade Computer Engineering & Information Systems Calgary al-awah@un.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support Big Data, Digital Transformation, Emerging Technologies, Knowledge Economy, SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Alexandru Isar | Economic Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| Diversified international organization and finance experience in international institutions as well as in the financial industry: • Seasoned economist with diversified experience spanning both private and public sectors covering topics including economic growth, convergence, development, financial stability, debt sustainability and sustainable finance • Project and team management – thorough experience spanning private and public sectors • Risk management (FRM), capital management and financial products modelling experience Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling, Fiscal Management & Policies, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade Master of Science in Economics Humboldt University Berlin alexandru.isar@gmail.com Data analysisProgrammingProject managementTeam management |
| Tanja Dedovic | Senior Regional Thematic Specialist on Labor Mobility and Social Inclusion | IOM - International Organization for Migration |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Ms. Tanja Dedovic is the Regional Thematic Specialist on Labor Mobility and Social Inclusion at the Regional Office of IOM in Cairo, Egypt, overseeing 17 countries of the MENA region. Ms. Dedovic has been with IOM since 1997 having acquired vast experience working on issues related to Labor Migration, social inclusion, entrepreneurship and diaspora engagement in the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Turkey and recently in the MENA region. She holds a licentiate in Political Economy from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Behavioral Economics, Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Finance for Development, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade lic.rer.pol Fribourg, Switzerland tdedovic@iom.int Agriculture, Circular Economy, Climate Change, Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity Governance, Institutional Development Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam managementVNR Preparations/Support Education, Inequality Municipal Development, Urban Development |
| Midher ALHAMADANI | Regional Data Hub Coordinator-MENA | IOM - International Organization for Migration |
| GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Modher has worked for over 17 years in the humanitarian sector with variety of International NGOs and UN agencies. Modher joined IOM in 2008 working on a broad emergency response portfolio across Iraq and Syria, including the coordination and implementation of Displacement Tracking Matrix activities (DTM), NFI/Shelter response, Psychosocial Support (PSS) and community mobilization programmes. Modher has a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine from the Mosul University, a Master’s degree in Humanitarian Operations from the Italian-Swiss University and has completed various professional trainings . He is a seasoned trainer in Human Mobility Tracking, emergency response activities and SPHERE projec Master in Humanitarian Operations Italian-Swiss University Lugano Switzerland malhamadani@iom.int ProgrammingProject management Population Dynamics & Migration |
| Khobib Awad | Information Managment Officer | IOM - International Organization for Migration |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty Experienced manager, operations, and database professional with over fifteen years of experience working in emergency and post-conflict settings. Proficient in managing databases, monitoring and managing programs, and participating in and directing multidisciplinary teams. Skilled in leadership, problem solving, statistics, Geographic Information Systems, various database software, and collecting and analysing complex data. Database Developer with documented abilities in design, architecture and data modelling. Proven track record managing all phases of software development life cycle (SDLC). An analytical thinker skilled at identifying and resolving technical problems. Bachelor in Statistics and Computer Science University of Gezira kmohamed@iom.int Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilization Big Data, SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Jo De Backer | Regional Emergency and Post Crisis specialist | IOM - International Organization for Migration |
| GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal I have over 15 years of experience working with IOM in programme development and design, policy analysis, donor liaison, training, strategic planning exercises, advocacy, representation and fundraising for a wide range of IOM’s activities and sectors particularly related to Emergencies, Transition, Recovery and Post Crisis, Resettlement and Complementary Pathways. I worked closely with country offices and have been supporting missions in Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, South Sudan, Myanmar, Thailand, Niger, Kenya, Ethiopia, Turkey and Ukraine amongst others. I previously worked as the Humanitarian Affairs Officer in the Humanitarian, Peace and Security team in IOM NY where I focused on the MENA, Horn of Africa, Southern Africa and part of Europe and Asia and worked on a daily basis with UN HQ entities mainly OCHA, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) as well as UN AFPs in NY. MSc. SociologyMSc. Criminal Justice Policy Vrije Universiteit BrusselLondon School of Economics jdebacker@iom.int Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planning Hunger, Inequality, Population Dynamics & Migration, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection |
| Zahoor Ahmad | Regional Monitoring & Evaluations Officer - MENA Region | IOM - International Organization for Migration |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal More than 15 years diverse experience with a multitude of organizations including, International Organization of Migration (IOM)- UN Migration MENA Region based in Egypt, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Myanmar, and USAID Citizen Voice Project-TDEA Pakistan, Center for Public Policy & Research (CPPR)/Institute of Management Sciences, Pakistan, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Community Motivation & Development Organization, FATA Secretariat/ UNICEF, Dost Welfare Foundation, HRMDC, across Pakistan particularly in conflict zones i.e. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas), Myanmar and Egypt with both in Development and Humanitarian sector, such as, Refugee/ IDPs Protection, Migration, Child and Women protection, Social Mobilization, Election observation/ Legislative good governance, Disaster Risk Reduction & Management, and Emergency Response. Expert in Project Development/implementation, Monitoring, Evaluations, Knowledge Management, Risk Management, Research, Surveys, Capacity Building, Coordination, Implementing Partners Management and Budgeting. Post Graduate studies in Sociology (M-Phil), Development studies (M.Sc.) and Executive MBA in Human resource management from Pakistan. Post Graduate Certification in "International Development Studies" from University of Oslo Norway and Diploma in "Development Leadership" from Coady International Institute STFX University, Nova Scotia, Canada. Diploma in Development Leadership M-Phil (leading to PhD) Sociology Coady International Institute, STFX University Canada University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan ZAHMAD@IOM.INT Climate Change Governance, Institutional Development, Peacekeeping, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject management Refugee Protection in the perspective of ICLA Population Dynamics & Migration, Social Protection, Youth Empowerment SDG Monitoring |
| Amr Lashin | Urban Governance, Policies and Legislation Program Manager | UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
| With almost 25 years of experience of working in the development sector with national and international agencies, bilateral and multinational agencies, in Egypt and the Arab World and Globally, Amr has built a strong knowledge and practical experience in many development related sectors, not limited to, Governance and Social Accountability, Community Engagement, Organizational Development, Change Management, Innovation, Economic Development and entrepreneurship, land readjustment, urban planning, national urban policy processes…etc B.Sc. Urban Planning Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University amr.lashin@un.org Governance, Human Rights, Institutional Development Capacity buildingCommunicationProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Inequality, Social Protection, Youth Empowerment Municipal Development, Urban Development |
| Chiaki Ito | Senior Regional Migration Health Specialist | IOM - International Organization for Migration |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Chiaki Ito is the Senior Regional Migration Health Specialist at RO Cairo. Over the last 20 years of his career with various organizations including 16 years with IOM (Thailand, Somalia and MENA region) he has been consistently working on the health issues of migrants and people on the move, with his expertise on health programming and operational research on communicable diseases. He has also co-authored several publications on topics such as maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, and nutrition. PhD in Health Sciences University of Tokyo cito@iom.int Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Understanding health inequities among transiting migrants within the Middle East and North African (MENA) region through strengthening data systems Health |
| Yara Helal | Programme Associate | UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities I am an Egyptian Economist with more than ten years of professional experience in economic research and projects' coordination. I joined the UN-Habitat Egypt office early 2021. I am currently in-charge of the public finance management component for the Integrated Urban Development Project -Hayenna; which is an application for the PiLaR methodology for land re-adjustment. "Hayenna" is trying to dig deeply into the operation of public finance of Egypt in a trial to understand its dynamic and find the way towards their proper mobilization for the sake of urban development. Previously, I used to work for prominent think tanks in Egypt of which was the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies (ECES). I hold a Master's degree in Economics with a specialization under "economic geography" from Cairo University. I am currently working on my PhD. Debt Management, Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Fiscal Management & Policies MSc in Economics Faculty of Economics and Political Science - Cairo University yara.helal@un.org Human Rights, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Data analysisProject managementStrategic planning Urban Development |
| Alaeddine Dridi | Regional Research Officer | IOM - International Organization for Migration |
| GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Mr. Alaeddine Dridi has a Bachelor's degree in Law, and holds a Master's degree in political sciences from the University of Carthage. before joining IOM, he workerd with NGOs in Tunisia on stregthening the capacities of Tunisian civil society, then he joined Terre d'Asile as Legal Advisor for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. He has been working at the International Organization for Migraton since 2017 adn was based in Tunisia before moving to the Regional Office for MENA region in september 2022. His knowledge and skills in the field of migration are diverse, encompassing governance and international agreements, labor migration, integration and social cohesion, development, as well as the protection of migrants and especially vulnerable categories such as unaccompanied and separated minors and victims of trafficking. Master's degree in Political sciencesBachelor's degree in Law University of CarthageUniversity of Carthage adridi@iom.int Governance, Human Rights, Institutional Development Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisVNR Preparations/Support Inequality |
| Soulef Guessoum | Governance Specialist | UN-WOMEN - United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal I am UNWOMEN Regional Advisor on Governance and Women’s political participation in West and Central Africa region (WCARO). My work involves supporting legislative reforms, capacity development, programme implementation, project formulation and resource mobilization. Previously, I worked as technical advisor/specialist in MENA region for several international organizations such as UNDP, International IDEA, Westminster Foundation and NDI. Her areas of expertise include parliamentary development, Political parties, Elections and Women’s participation in As part of my previous assignments in 2012-2013 and in the Arab region I played a role in Tunisia’s constitutional process as I designed and implemented a national dialogue on a Draft Constitution with successful and intensive political meetings throughout the country. The dialogue impacted positively the constitutional process and contributed to the finalization of the Constitution owing also to a compromise approach adopted by the Tunisian stakeholders. I also played a role in the transition of Libya during 2012 and I provided technical support in ensuring peaceful transition between the National transitional Council and the elected assembly (GNC). I hold BA in Journalism from the University of Algiers and a master’s degree from the University of Malta in Human rights and democratization. My command of French, English and Arabic has been an asset in my current and previous assignments and should be so in taking on new challenging responsibilities. Master in Human Rights and Democratization University of Malta soulef.guessoum@gmail.com Governance, Human Rights, Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planning From Quotas to Paritywomen’s participation in EBRD’s operations through voice, agency and participation Inequality |
| Gonzalo Pizarro | Regional Advisor and Team Leader on SDG Integration | UNDP - United Nations Development Programme |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Dr. Gonzalo Pizarro is the Regional Adviser on SDG Integration in UNDP’s Regional Hub for the Arab States. He has lead the design and delivery of UNDP’s integrated development offer on SDGs, development and application of system analysis and tools. With over 20 years of professional experience in both the private sector and the United Nations System, he holds a Ph.D. in Water Resources Management from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Columbia in the City of New York. Dr. Pizarro joined the UN family in October 2005 as a policy advisor for water resources of the United Nations Millennium Project, an advisory body to the Secretary General. Since joining the United Nations System, Dr. Pizarro has focused on the integration of Global Objectives into national development planning processes, and addressing sustainability issues. Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Engineering Columbia University in the City of New York gonzalo.pizarro@undp.org Climate Change, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Data analysisProgrammingStrategic planningVNR Preparations/Support Inequality, Poverty Reduction |
| Jennifer Colville | Regional Innovation Team Lead | UNDP - United Nations Development Programme |
| GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Jennifer manages UNDP’s Innovation portfolio for the Arab States region, covering 17 countries from the Gulf to the Maghreb. She manages regional activities to introduce new and alternative approaches to development and support systems transformation, such as behavioral insights, data innovation, and alternative forms of financing. She supports colleagues and partners in continuous scanning of the horizon for fresh thinking to reframe development challenges; prototyping to quickly and inexpensively figure out what works and what does not; and “working out loud” to share successes and hard-won lessons learned. Prior to this position, Jennifer was a global development policy advisor with UNDP, focusing on institutional effectiveness and capacity development. Before joining the UN system, Jennifer worked for many years in the private sector as a management consultant with Accenture and Burson-Marsteller. Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and a Masters of Business Administration from Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University); and she attended an Executive Education programme on “Innovations in Governance” at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. MBABA Northwestern UniversityYale University jennifer.colville@undp.org Capacity buildingStrategic planning |
| Giordano Segneri | Governance and Peacebuilding Team Leader for Arab States | UNDP - United Nations Development Programme |
| GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Giordano Segneri joined the UNDP Regional Hub for Arab States as Governance and Peacebuilding Team Leader in 2020, where he steers a regional team of advisors performing country office support in the areas of Governance, Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Recovery, and Rule of Law. In this context, he also carried out technical missions to Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti, and Syria (also as Deputy Representative ad interim). Giordano has 20 years of experience working in conflict, fragile and transition settings, and holds a PhD on the Sociology of Risk (Rome, 2013) and a master’s degree in Moral Philosophy. Previous professional experiences include peace and development advisory support to the UN Country Team (UNCT) in Tunisia (2014-2020); Policy support to the UNCT/HCT and UN political mission in Libya (2009-2013); coordination and strategic advice to UNCTs to several countries including Algeria, Jordan, Libya, and Mauritius (2008-2009); Coordination support to the UN Regional Directors’ Team Secretariat for West and Central Africa in Dakar (2007). Before joining the UN, Giordano worked as Country Representative and Project Manager for INGOs in Gabon and Mozambique (2003-2007) and served as ICRC Delegate in Iraq in 2003. He started his career as researcher for the Civil Defense Study Center in Italy, followed by the management of peacebuilding and recovery projects in Rwanda, DRC, and Bosnia-Herzegovina (1999-2002). master degreePhD Universita degli studi di PerugiaUniversita LUMSA di Roma giordano.segneri@undp.org Governance, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation Resource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Climate-related Security Risks and Sustaining Peace – An analytical lens. Strategic advantages for the Country Common Analysis Rwanda. Frammenti e immagini di un viaggio a 10 anni dal genocidio ONGs e trasformazione dei conflitti. Operazioni di pace nelle crisi internazionali: analisi, esperienze e prospettive |
| Vito Intini | Regional Chief Economist and Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Finance Team Leader | UNDP - United Nations Development Programme |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Vito Intini is the Regional Chief Economist and Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Finance Team Leader at UNDP in the Arab States region. Prior to this position, he was the Principal Macroeconomic Adviser at UN DESA in NY, where he worked on the global macroeconomic forecasting model, socioeconomic assessments of large infrastructure projects, quantitative methods to measure SDG interactions and prioritization, SDG costing and budgeting, and led the preparation of the UN guidance on Economic Transformation, among other activities. Before DESA, Vito worked at UNCDF where he led the global program on Municipal Finance. Earlier on, he was the Chief of the Economic Governance Section at ESCWA in Beirut where he led a number of publications and capacity building programs including on measurement of inequality, national sustainable development strategies, fiscal policy, development in conflict, market competition, among others. Vito was also a Private and Financial Sector Specialist at the World Bank in the Balkan region. He also worked for OECD, OSCE, EU and the academia. He has also been a Fulbright visiting fellow. Vito specialized in International Economics, holds Masters Degrees in Environmental Policies, Development and Labor Economics, and specialized in Regional Economics and Economic Geography during his Ph.D. studies and in Econometrics at postgraduate level. Debt Management, Economic Diversification & Private Sector Development, Economic Modeling, Finance for Development, Fiscal Management & Policies, Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade PhD University of Bari vito.intini@undp.org Capacity buildingData analysisProgrammingProject managementStrategic planning Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection Knowledge Economy, Statistics |
| Rania Tarazi | Gender Team Leader | UNDP - United Nations Development Programme |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality Rania Tarazi has 19 years of international development experience in the Arab Region focused on socio-economic analysis, gender analysis and mainstreaming, policy advice and programme support, and capacity development to integrate gender dimensions into programmes. She worked with several international organizations including Oxfam GB, GIZ, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and the United Nations Development Program. She was also an independent consultant on research, project development, advisory support to project management and M&E. She conceptualized, guided, contributed and conducted various research studies. Rania has a master’s degree in inequalities and social sciences from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a master’s degree in urban management from Erasmus University Rotterdam. She is proficient in English, a native Arabic speaker, and has an intermediate level of French and Spanish. Masters in Inequalities and social scienceMasters in Urban Management London School of Economics and Political ScienceErasmus University Rotterdam rania.tarazi@undp.org Capacity buildingProgrammingProject management Inequality, Poverty Reduction |
| Kishan Khoday | Regional Team Leader - Nature, Climate and Energy (MENA) | UNDP - United Nations Development Programme |
| GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 14: Life Below Water, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Kishan Khoday is Regional Team Leader for Nature, Climate and Energy with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where he leads cooperation for a green transition across the Arab region. He has been with the UN for over 25 years leading partnerships on climate change and environmental sustainability across Asia and MENA regions, with past assignments in China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. UNDP is today the UN’s largest implementer of grant assistance for a green transition, with a $4 billion portfolio of local initiatives around the world today to build climate resilient food and water systems, reduce the risks from climate induced disasters, accelerate the transition to sustainable energy, restore critical ecosystems and advance the sustainable use of biodiversity. Kishan is a thought leader on the sustainability agenda, with over thirty publications in UN reports and peer reviewed journals. Most recently he served as a contributor to the global and regional editions of UNDPs Human Development Report, as a global advisor on the energy implications of the war in Ukraine in the UN Secretary General’s Global Crisis Response Group, and speaks regularly in regional dialogues on the planetary crisis. Kishan holds a Juris Doctorate degree in international and environmental law, a MSc in natural resource management and a BSc in environmental science. Juris Doctor in Law (International and Environmental Law)Masters of Science in Natural Resources Vermont Law School, USAAntioch New England Graduate School, USA kishan.khoday@undp.org Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Governance, Human Rights, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation CommunicationProgrammingStrategic planningTeam management Rethinking Development in an Era of Planetary Transformation, Background Paper No.1 for the Global HDR (UNDP/HDR, New York - 2020)Accelerating a Green Transition in the Arab Region, Ch6 in Arab HDR (UNDP, New York 2022) |
| Jafar Irshaidat | Communications Specialist | UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal I am a communications specialist with over a decade of experience in the field. My background spans journalism, corporate communications, public relations, and communications within humanitarian programmes. I have worked at several notable publications in Jordan, in addition to working as a copywriter and a strategic communications specialist at two of the leading public relations agencies in the region. As of 2015, my career has transitioned to humanitarian work, beginning with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and eventually leading to my current post at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). MA in English Literature University of Jordan irshaidat@unfpa.org Capacity buildingCommunicationStrategic planning Health, Inequality, Population Dynamics & Migration, Social Protection, Youth Empowerment Digital Transformation, Emerging Technologies, Knowledge Economy |
| Theodora Castan | Regional Programme Specialist GBV | UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund |
| GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Theodora Castan is the regional programme specialist on gender-based violence at the Arab States Regional Office. Previously, she has represented the Delegation of the European Union and the Permanent Missions of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the United Nations in New York and in Geneva. In those capacities, she specialized on the consideration of human rights and gender issues in intergovernmental processes. Amongst others, she was the gender expert to support Ireland's chairing of the Commission on the Status of Women in 2018 and 2019, she negotiated on behalf of the EU, Ireland and the UK in the Human Rights Council and in the Third Committee of the General Assembly as well as acted as the penholder on WPS in the Security Council. Theodora has also worked at the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, where she coordinated the portfolios on gender equality and children and armed conflict for the provinces in the central region of Afghanistan. She is an attorney-at-law in the State of New York. She received her LLB from Trinity College Dublin and her LLM from the University of Edinburgh, and is currently undertaking her PhD in Law at the University of Edinburgh. LLB (Law and Political Science)LLM (European Law) Trinity College DublinUniversity of Edinburgh castan@unfpa.org Human Rights Capacity buildingData analysisProgrammingProject managementStrategic planningTeam management Inequality |
| Elena Giulia Bertola | Regional Cash and Voucher Assistance Specialist | UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality Cash and Voucher specialist with over 15 years’ experience in the humanitarian sector working for several INGOs (ACF, Oxfam GB, SCI, CashCap, GOAL) and UN agencies (WFP, UNHCR, FAO, UNICEF, UNFPA) in different countries and contexts. Since 2008 Elena has designed, managed and implemented response and recovery programs incorporating cash transfers, using a range of mechanisms fostering innovative solutions. She has been working at field, country, regional, coordination and advisory level to promote the use and enhance quality of cash transfer programming in humanitarian action. For the last 2 years Elena has supported UNFPA to integrated cash and voucher assistance in GBV and SHR in emergency programming in the region also promoting and disseminating evidence based learning. At global level she has co developed global guidance and training. Laurea in Architettura Politecnico di Torino bertola@unfpa.org Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementStrategic planningTeam management UNFPA Guidance: How to Design and Set Up Cash Assistance in GBV Case Management |
| Luzia Zeruneith | Programme Specialist Innovation | UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Prior to joining UNFPA, Luzia has worked 5 years for UNICEF in New York HQ and in the Europe and Central Asia Region supporting a global portfolio of programmes for adolescent girls’ skills and leadership including in STEM and innovation. Before, Luzia has advanced maternal and newborn health programmes through pilots and implementation of clinical mHealth tools in Guinea, Benin and Ethiopia, and she also has a background in the private sector and communications. She is passionate about leveraging evidence and technology for transformative results in gender equality and women’s and girls’ health and wellbeing everywhere. Luzia has a M.Sc. in Social Anthropology and Gender Studies from the University of Copenhagen and Université Paris 8 Vincennes, Saint-Denis. M.Sc. in Anthropology University of Copenhagen zeruneith@unfpa.org Data analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Education, Health, Inequality, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Youth Empowerment Digital Transformation, Emerging Technologies, Statistics |
| Amit Dhungel | Reproductive Health Commodity Security Program Specialist | UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Seasoned public health professional with substantial work experience and expertise in health program management, health system strengthening, health financing, supply chain management, and evidence synthesis primarily in the field of Family Planning and Reproductive Health in a developing country setting. Possesses a master’s degree in public health with specialization in Environmental and Occupation Health and a second master’s degree in Population, Gender, and Development. Currently serving as a Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) program specialist at the UNFPA Arab States Regional Office in Cairo, providing support to 14+ countries in strengthening reproductive health services, supply chain management, and delivering life-saving reproductive health commodities to the last mile in both development and humanitarian contexts. Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health EHESP - École des Hautes Études en Santé PubliqueThe University of Sheffield (GBR) dhungel@unfpa.org Human Rights Capacity buildingData analysisProgrammingProject managementStrategic planningTeam management Risk management policies and practices regarding radio frequency electromagnetic fields: results from a WHO surveyFactors Affecting the Uptake of Institutional Delivery, Antenatal and Postnatal Care in Nawalparasi District, NepalSpousal Separation and Use of and Unmet Need for Contraception in Nepal: Results Based on a 2016 SurveyWhy Are So Many Nepali Women Killing Themselves? A Review Of Key IssuesMuslim Religious Leaders Engage in Local Family Planning Actions. Good Practice on South South Cooperation Disability, Health, Inequality, Population Dynamics & Migration, Social Protection SDG Monitoring |
| Karim Hashash | Waste Management Expert | UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme |
| GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production Environmental professional with 13 years of experience, whose expertise lie primarily in solid and hazardous waste management, with a background in environmental assessment and management. Have worked in intergovernmental roles, through UNEP and UNDP, and in private sector consultancies with clients who have included USAID, EU, World Bank, UNEP, UNICEF, UNDP, the Lebanese Ministry of Environment and the Afghan Ministry of Energy and Water. Environmental Assessment and Management Biology University of BrightonRoyal Holloway, University of London karim.hashash@un.org Circular Economy Capacity buildingProject managementStrategic planning |
| Maria Carmen Alpin Lardies | Regional Advisor Poverty and Social Policy | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth Spanish national, graduated in Barcelona and finalised postgraduate studies at the LSE in the UK. I joined ESCWA’s gender justice, population and inclusive development cluster as a poverty reduction and social policy advisor in 2022. Previously I was a research specialist at UNICEF Angola, where I led on the impact evaluation of the first ever cash transfers programme in the country. Previously, I was the head of data management for Afrobarometer. Afrobarometer produces nationally representative household surveys in 37 African countries. I led the introduction of electronic data capture. I published policy papers on gender equality in Africa. I also worked for IDASA, the Institute for Democracy that pioneered budget analysis in the African continent. Prior to moving to Africa, I was a principal research officer at the former UK’s Department for Trade and Industry, where I managed the Workplace Employment Relations Survey, and I was part of the team writing the book of findings, a reference text in the field. MSc in Development ManagementMSc in Industrial Relations & Personnel Management The Open University, UKThe London School of Economics and Political Science maria.alpinlardies@un.org Governance, Institutional Development Capacity buildingData analysisProject management Gains and gaps: Perceptions and experiences of gender in AfricaSupport for African Women’s Equality Rises: Education, Jobs & Political Participation Still UnequalGovernments Falter in Fight to Curb Corruption, Social Accountability in Africa: Practitioners’ experiences and lessonsInside the Workplace: Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection |
| Iyngararasan Mylvakanam | Programme Managment Officer | UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production With over 25 years of experience in environment and sustainable development Mr. Iyngararasan Mylvakanam has extensive experience in development of science, capacity, partnerships, and solutions for addressing chemicals, waste and air pollution issues. Mr. Mylvakanam joined the UNEP Regional Office for West Asia as Regional Coordinator for Chemicals and Pollution in 2019. Prior to joining the West Asia Office, he has been working in the UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre in Osaka, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, and the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi. Bachelor of the Science of AgricultureMaster of Engineering University of PeradeniyaAsian Institute of Technology iyngararasan.mylvakanam@un.org Agriculture, Circular Economy, Natural Resource Scarcity Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementStrategic planning A Review of Air Pollution Control in Beijing: 1998-2013Atmospheric Brown Clouds: Emission Inventory ManualIntegrated Approach for managing climate change and other env. problems resulting from atmosp. pollnAir Pollution: Promoting Regional Cooperation UNEP 01-Jan-2010 Black CarbonAir Pollution and Climate Change: Two sides of the same coin |
| Karina Nersesyan | Deputy Regional Director, Arab States | UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality Servant leader with over 30 years of strategic, regional and technical experience to empower and engage with counterparts, delivering high quality programming across program management, normative, policy and advocacy roles. With a breadth of regional and technical experience, Dr. Nersesyan has served for nearly eight years in the Middle East and conducted several short- and long-term assignments throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia helping mobilize the political will, technical capabilities and financial means to help enable women to determine their own paths and girls to transform their lives. Dr. Nersesyan is a graduate of Georgetown University's Leadership Coaching Program and also has a Certificate in Team Development and Team Coaching program. • Member of the UN Senior Women Talent Pool (SWTP) selected through a competitive process of leadership assessments. • Graduate of Leadership & Cooperation in UN Peace Operations, Swedish Armed Forces, 2018 • Recipient of the Honorable Mention Certificate, Operational Excellence Award, InsideNGO. • Recipient of Leadership Award, USAID Yemen. Ph.D. in EconomicsLeadership Coach Armenian State University of EconomicsGeorgetown University, Institute of Transformational Leadership nersesyan@unfpa.org Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementStrategic planningTeam management The Multidimentional Poverty Report in the Arab States Education, Health, Inequality, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection, Youth Empowerment |
| Sabine Sakr | Regional Development Coordinator | UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme |
| GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 14: Life Below Water, GOAL 15: Life on Land, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal I have more than 16 years of experience in the United Nations system. From 2014 to 2018 I worked at the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification based in Bonn, Germany. I supported the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC) and acted as the coordinator of the Arab States creating a robust network within the MENA region. In January 2019 I held the position of Regional Coordinator at the Regional Office for West Asia of UNEP, working on Environmental Governance and Law in 12 Arab States, in addition to managing projects at national and sub-regional levels. Currently, I am working as the Regional Development Coordinator in UNEP Regional Office for West Asia, coordinating programmes at strategic level with countries, exploring partnerships and ensuring adequate monitoring and reporting of the Regional Office. I also work with Resident Coordinator Offices across the region and the UN Country Teams to ensure mainstreaming the environmental dimensions in country Cooperation Frameworks and other UN Reform processes. Priro to 2014 I worked four years in a Peacekeeping mission in South of Lebanon and in an intergovernmental Tribunal in the Hague. I also worked two years in the private agricultural sector in Lebanon. I gained skills in conflict resolution, communication, planning, organizing and client orientation. I speak fluently three UN languages (Arabic, English and French), I have a working knowledge of Italian. Master of Agricultural Engineering Master of Enviromental Economics Lebanese University Rennes 1 sabine.sakr@un.org Agriculture, Climate Change, Natural Resource Scarcity Governance, Institutional Development, Peacekeeping, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Kuwait National Adaptation Plan 2019- 2030 SDG Monitoring |
| Shadia Elshiwy | Regional Programme Analyst on Harmful Practices | UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 5: Gender Equality Dr Shadia Elshiwy is an Egyptian medical doctor holding an MSc in Public Health for Development earned from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Dr Elshiwy is a public health practitioner with an extensive experience in public health programs implementation and management in both development and humanitarian settings; focusing on sexual and reproductive health and preventing gender-based violence in the Middle East and North Africa region. Dr Shadia is a senior SRHR fellow at the Aspen Institute. Dr Shadia has experience in working with governmental institutions, non-governmental organizations and UNFPA. She worked with the Egyptian ministry of family and population, and the U.S Naval Medical Research Unit regional office. Dr Elshiwy worked at the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) regional and central offices for 7 years, managing regional and global SRHR programs. Dr Shadia is currently working at the UNFPA Arab States Regional Office; managing the two joint programs between UNFPA and UNICEF; the Joint Program to eliminate FGM and the Global Program to end child marriage. MSc Public Health for Development London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine elshiwy@unfpa.org Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Understanding the impacts of child marriage on the health and well-being of adolescent girls and young women residing in urban areas in EgyptChild Marriage in the context of COVID-19: Analysis of trends, programming and alternative approaches in the Middle East and North Africa MY BODY, MY LIFE, MY WORLD OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE Health |
| Tarek AlKhoury | West Asia Regional Coordinator for Climate Action | UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme |
| GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, GOAL 13: Climate Action Tarek Alkhoury has over 12 years of experience in the fields of environment, urban planning and resource efficiency, 8 of which have been within the UN System. In 2014, he joined UN-Habitat Headquarters in Nairobi to support Francophone African countries and Arab States in policies and programmes on energy efficiency, housing and slum upgrading. Later, he was appointed as a Regional Programme Officer for Arab States within the Land and Global Land Tool Network Unit (GLTN). Before joining UN-Habitat, he worked for 4 years as an architect and programme manager providing advisory services on integrating green and resource efficiency practices into the project design phase in Middle East. In addition, Tarek has done several short assignments in France related to Project and Programme Management and Green Cities. Tarek joined UNEP West Asia Office in 2018 as the Regional Coordinator for Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Consumption and Production. Since early 2022, Tarek has acted as the Regional Coordinator for Climate Action. His multi-dimensional experience in environment, urban planning, land and sustainable development allowed him to gain solid knowledge on the interrelated relationships between resource flows, resource efficiency, circular economy and climate change. Tarek graduated as an Architect from Damascus University - Faculty of Architecture. He holds a Master of Environment, Urban and Regional Planning from Reims University and a Specialized Master in Project and Program Management from SKEMA Business School in France. Specialized Masters of Project and Program ManagementMasters of Urban Planning and Environment SKEMA Business SchoolUniversité de Reims Champagne-Ardenne tarek.alkhoury@un.org Circular Economy, Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management, Food Security, Natural Resource Scarcity Capacity buildingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management |
| Mohamad El dheiby | Community Mobilizer | UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Mohamad El Dheiby joined UN Habitat as a Community Mobilizer since 2018. He is representing the program in working with communities in field projects under the Urban Governance and Development Unit. Mohamad have experience in community organizing, campaigning, and advocacy. He holds a master’s degree in Political Studies from AUB, with a certificate in community organizing from Harvard executive education. Mohamad also worked as a consultant in Peace and Security for UN Women and a Winter Program assistant for Unicef. Master in Political StudiesDiplome D'etudes Approondies in Political Sciences American University of BeirutLebanese University mohdsamihd@hotmail.com Governance, Human Rights, Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Poverty Reduction, Social Protection, Youth Empowerment |
| Hala Youssef | Sexual and Reproductive Health Regional Adviser | UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund |
| Dr. Hala Youssef, A Professor of Public Health at Cairo University Medical School. She is currently working with UNFPA Arab States Office in Cairo as the Regional Sexual and Reproductive Health Adviser. She also held the position of The Population and Development Adviser at ASRO 2017-2022. In 2013-2014, Professor Youssef was the Director of the Egyptian National Population Council (NPC) leading on the National Egyptian Strategy for Population and Development 2015-2030. In 2014, she was a member of the advisory council on community development to the President of Egypt. In 2015, she was appointed as the Minister of State for Population in Egypt. Dr. Hala enriched her expertise through working as a professor, mentor and a researcher on population and sexual and reproductive health studies with renown publications at both national and international levels. Doctorate Degree Kasr Elainy Medical School youssef@unfpa.org Governance Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementStrategic planningTeam management Aging, Education, Health, Inequality, Population Dynamics & Migration, Youth Empowerment SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Hiroshi Takabayashi | Country Programme Manager a.i. | UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
| GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action Since May 2021, Mr. Takabayashi served as a Programme Management Officer, Human Settlements in UN-Habitat Syria. Before joining UN-Habitat Syria, Mr. Takabayashi was Programme Management Officer, Human Settlements in UN-Habitat Myanmar (2019-2021) and UN-Habitat Afghanistan (2015-2019) working on urban development and resilience programmes with focus on sustainable urban development, community driven development, climate change and disaster risk management. Before joining UN-Habitat, from 2001 to 2015, Mr. Takabayashi worked for Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), served as Advisor for Capital Market, Deputy Director for Planning in Asia and the Pacific and ASEAN partnership, Deputy Director for Indonesia and several other positions managing technical cooperation and loan programmes and policy dialogue. Mr. Takabayashi holds a Master’s Degree in Environment, Development and Policy from University of Sussex in UK, and a Master’s Degree in International Development Study from National Graduate Policy Institute in Japan. MA in Environment, Development and Policy University of Sussex hiroshi.takabayashi@un.org Climate Change Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation, Risk Assessment & Conflict Prevention Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Municipal Development, Smart Cities, Urban Development |
| Xingyi Zhou | Associate Social Affairs Officer | ESCWA - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
| GOAL 1: No Poverty, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality Xingyi Zhou obtained a BA in English from Tsinghua University in 2015. He continued to pursue his Master degree in Development Management at the London School of Economics (2016-2017). After his graduation, he worked for several international and local organizations. His last job mainly focused on providing in-service training programs for teachers and principals in Chinese public schools in an education foundation in Shanghai. Since January 2022, he began his work in the social protection team of ESCWA. His specialties are social assistance program design and implementation, as well as programme management. MSc Development ManagementBA in English The London School of EconomicsTsinghua University xingyi.zhou@un.org Capacity buildingData analysisProgrammingProject management Poverty Reduction, Social Protection |
| Samar ElFeky | Regional Adviser for Health Promotion and Social Determinants of Health | WHO - World Health Organization |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Dr. Samar ElFeky is a Medical Doctor qualified in Public Health from University of Liverpool in UK and in Health System Research from Johns Hopkins University, USA. Dr ElFeky has working experience in WHO/EMRO in health promotion and wellbeing, Health for Older People, social determinants of Health, integrating Health in All Policies (HiAP), health literacy and community engagement. She participated actively in promoting and implementing healthy settings (Age-friendly cities, healthy cities, health promoting schools, healthy workplaces, healthy villages and healthy markets). She is leading monitoring and evaluation of Healthy Cities Programme in countries of the Region including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia and UAE. In addition, Dr ElFeky participated in implementing Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART) in Egypt, Iran, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan and Tunisia. Dr ElFeky participated also in capacity building activities to integrate care for older people at PHC level using WHO ICOPE guidelines. She led the training of community health workers and development of relevant strategies in many countries of the region. Bachelor Degree in Medicine and Surgery MPH Cairo University University of Liverpool elfekys@who.int Capacity buildingCommunicationProgrammingProject managementStrategic planningTeam management Healthy Cities Programme in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: concurrent progress and future prospects, Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, EMHJ , 25 (7), 2019Ethics in health practice and research: an EMR perspective, Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, EMHJ , 22 ( 1), 2016 Training modules on improving communication strategies to improve national nutrition programmes- WHO/EMRO Managing disaster risks in communities, a community-based approach to disaster risk reduction- Training manual for the trainers of cluster representatives and volunteers. WHO/EMRO/ PHCPrioritizing action on health inequities in cities: An evaluation of Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART) in 15 cities from Asia and Africa, Journal Social Science and Medicine Aging, Health, Inequality, Social Protection, Youth Empowerment |
| Mazen Malkawi | Regional Advisor - Environmental Health | WHO - World Health Organization |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action Mazen Malkawi, Regional Advisor on Environmental Health, at the World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Center for Environmental Health Action (CEHA). He holds: • M.Sc. in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering from the Jordan University of Science and Technology (1988), and • B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Jordan (1985). Mr. Malkawi started his career as a Hydrologist and Monitoring Engineer at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, (1985-1987). Then he spent some time as a teaching assistant at the Jordan University of Science and technology (1987-1988) in different water and environmental engineering subjects Mr. Malkawi has served since 1988 at different positions in the WHO Centre for Environmental Health Action (CEHA): Technical Assistant (1988-2011): Coordination of the regional health and environment information program, and managing the activities of the environmental health information network Technical Officer (2012-2017): Coordinating several regional programs related to monitoring and controlling exposures to environmental risk factors in the 22 countries of the Region, including Monitoring the health impacts of air pollution on health, and the safe use of treated wastewater in Agriculture as an adaptation measure in the face of climate change. Regional Advisor (2018-Present): Managing the environmental health exposures program focusing on climate change, air pollution, chemical safety, the Arab Strategy and Framework of Action on Environmental Health 2017-2030, and the regional environmental health component of the International Health regulations IHR (2005) treaty. Mr. Malkawi is an active member in several international committees and task forces that are currently working on updating international guidance and standards on climate change and health, air quality, toxic chemicals, sand and dust storms, urban environment and transport and health. He participated in 100++ International, regional and national meetings on different environmental health aspects, and published 21 articles and chapters in refereed journals and books. M.Sc. in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering B.Sc. in Civil Engineering Jordan University of Science and Technology University of Jordan MalkawiM@who.int Climate Change, Energy Transition and Management, Natural Resource Scarcity, Water Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan and Plan Bleu (2020). State of the Environment and Development in the Mediterranean: Chapter 7: Health and environment, Nairobi. Preferred in-text citation: UNEP/MAP and Plan Bleu, 2020.Communicating the Risks of Air Pollution to the Public: A Perspective from Jordan and Lebanon, : Environmental Health Insights Volume 16: 1–7, 2022The environmental health nexuses within the Strategic Roadmap: regional work priorities for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, Environmental Health Journal, Vol. 24 No. 2 – 2018Preventing Disease Through Healthy Environment: Assessment of The Burden of Disease from Environmental Risks in Arab CountriesExposure to Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes in the East Mediterranean Region: a Systematic Review: Int J Pediatr, Vol.4, N.1, Serial No.25, Jan 2016 |
| Dania Dirani | Associate Programme Coordinator (ED) | UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| GOAL 4: Quality Education Dania Dirani has a background in Human Resources Management and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Arts and Culture Management. For the past 6 years, Dania has been working at the UNESCO Amman office as part of the Culture and Social Human Sciences Units. During this time, she has been primarily focused on projects that aim to empower women and youth, prevent violent extremism, and preservation of cultural heritage through the cash for work schemes. Before joining UNESCO, Dania spent 4 years working on education in emergency programs in response of the Syria crisis. Currently, Dania has taken up a new role at the UNESCO Beirut office, where she will responsible to support regional coordination efforts in the education sector. Masters Degree in Arts and Culture Management Bachelor of Schience in Human Resource Management Rome Business School Leicester University dirani.dania@gmail.com Capacity buildingCommunicationProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Disability, Education, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Poverty Reduction, Youth Empowerment |
| Marco Pasqualini | Education Programme Specialist | UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| GOAL 4: Quality Education, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Marco Pasqualini works at the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office in Beirut as Programme Specialist on Education in Emergencies and Global Citizenship Education. He previously worked at UNESCO Headquarters as Associate Education Advisor at the Cabinet of the Director-General, and as Associate Expert on Global Citizenship Education and the Prevention of Violent Extremism. Before joining UNESCO, he worked at the World Bank Center for Mediterranean Integration on Education, Prevention of Violent Extremism and Partnerships; at the Political Department of the Delegation of the European Union in Saudi Arabia; and as Deputy Head of International Relations at Marseille-Provence 2013, European Capital of Culture. Regional Integration and Mobility m.pasqualini@unesco.org Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Education, Youth Empowerment |
| Adi Al-Nuseirat | Technical Officer Access to Pharmaceuticals | WHO - World Health Organization |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being I am a pharmacist who holds PhD in Industrial Pharmacy and a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Technology. I have more than 20 years of experience in the areas of pharmaceutical regulations, pharmaceutical and medicine policy, selection and rational use of essential medicines, and supply chain management. I am a Technical Officer in the Access to Medicines & Health Technologies unit in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office since January 2016, responsible for planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating WHO collaborative programmes on essential medicines and pharmaceutical policies. I have been technically supporting the eastern Mediterranean countries to: • Formulate, update, implement and monitor comprehensive national pharmaceutical policies. • Ensure the availability of medicines and health products at fair and affordable prices in both the public and private sectors. • Establish efficient supply systems to ensure the flow of quality essential medicines and health products on a regular basis and in sufficient quantities to all levels of the distribution chain. • Strengthen national regulatory authorities to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and health products. • Ensure the appropriate use of medicines by health professionals and consumers. • Promote research and development and the local production of quality medicines and vaccines that meet public health needs. Prior to working in WHO, I worked for over a decade for the Jordan Food and Drug Administration the regulatory authority responsible for ensuring the safety and efficacy of medicines and health products in Jordan, before that, I worked for the Procurement and Supply Directorate, which is responsible for the selection, quantification, product specification, pre-selection of suppliers and adjudication of tenders and procurement of medicines for the public sector. PhD Cairo University nuseirata@who.int Capacity buildingProject managementStrategic planning Pharmaceutical policies and regulations of oral antiviral drugs for treatment of hepatitis C in Egypt—case studyPharmaceutical regulations in Iraq: from medicine approval to postmarketinFORMULATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ODT USING DIFFERENT CO-PROCESS CONTAINING DACLATSVIR: IN VITRO AND IN VIVO PHARMACOKINETICS STUDY ON HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS FOR HEPATITIS C TREATMENTSolid-State Characterization of FluconazoleAn Assessment of the Impact of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic on National Antimicrobial Consumption in Jordan Health |
| Emad Elshaarawy | Programme Assistant - Governance, Policies and Legislation Programme | UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
| GOAL 2: Zero Hunger, GOAL 5: Gender Equality, GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal Emad Elshaarawy is a humanitarian professional with more than nine years of professional work experience in the humanitarian and economic empowerment sectors where he used to plan and implement projects target refugees and migrants, women and host communities to enhance their capacities, mobilize resources and to achieve social cohesion. Emad Elshaarawy is a researcher at Faculty of African Postgraduate Studies – Cairo University, Department of Economics and Political Science. He obtained different Diplomas after his graduation, where he studied International Bill of Human Rights, Democratic Comparative Experiences, Global Changing Order, and social cohesion. Moreover, holds a Master class in Training and Learning Techniques and a “Dialogue Fellowship in ENP– South Mediterranean with a focus on safe mobility and migration and counter trafficking, As well as Civic Engagement and Community Mobilization Diploma from Center of Applied Polices at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Regional Integration and Mobility, Trade MSc. in African Studies Cairo University emad.elshaarawy13@gmail.com Circular Economy, Energy Transition and Management, Food Security Capacity buildingProject managementResource mobilization Policy Paper: Egyptian African Export Promotion Action Program Inequality, Population Dynamics & Migration, Social Protection, Youth Empowerment Urban Development |
| Eman Aly | Technical officer Health information and Civil Registration and Vital Statistics | WHO - World Health Organization |
| GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being, GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Dr Eman Abdelkreem Aly, Technical Officer Information System for Health and Civil Registration and Vital statistics, Department of Science Information and dissemination in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization Twenty years extensive experience in the field of Epidemiology and Statistics methods, Surveillance and Monitoring public health programs. With current position in WHO she provides technical support for developing Health information Systems using global standards and tools. Strengthening electronic information system for timely capture of deaths and accurate identification of causes of death, coding UCOD using ICD versions (ICD10 – ICD11), promoting use of WHO family of international classifications of disease and health interventions. Provide guidance to MS on implementation of Integrated Disease Surveillance system, implementation of household and facility assessment surveys and review and document information system for health and SDG indicators attributes and gaps with developing recommendation for scaling up Before joining WHO she led the Field Epidemiology Training Program in Egypt as program coordinator and as a consultant for the same program in Saudi Arabia MOH, participated in development of communicable and non-communicable disease surveillance systems, mange design and implementation of outbreak investigation, surveys and Epi-studies in several countries in MENA region Dr Eman is medical doctor and holds a Doctor of Public Health and Epidemiology from Ain Shams University of Egypt, Board of Applied Epidemiology and Diploma of Field Epidemiology program FETP, Atlanta CDC alye@who.int Capacity buildingCommunicationData analysisProgrammingProject managementResource mobilizationStrategic planningTeam management Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in standardised first few X cases and household transmission investigations: A systematic review and meta-analysisSARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Aden, Yemen: a population-based study WHO’s support for COVID-19 research and knowledge management in the Eastern Mediterranean Strengthening national health information systems: challenges and response SDG Monitoring, Statistics |
| Giovanni Scepi | Culture Programme Specialist | UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, GOAL 13: Climate Action Dr Giovanni Scepi joined the UNESCO Ramallah Office in April 2020 as Head of Culture Unit and Programme Specialist for Culture. He has formerly worked in the Secretariat of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage within the Living Heritage Entity at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from May 2011 to April 2020. There he covered several functions including the role of Regional Officer for the Arab States in 2011, for Europe and North America between 2012 and 2015, and for Asia and the Pacific from 2013 to 2020. For the whole period he has been responsible for the periodic reporting mechanisms and conducted the process of reform of the reporting mechanisms and the adoption of the overall results framework for the 2003 Convention. From 2007 until 2011, he worked as a consultant on UNESCO matters for the 'Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry', the 'Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea', as well as for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Research Council. Mr Scepi has a master degree in International Relations from Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), a master in Law and Economics of the Environment from the University of Siena (Italy) and a Second level master degree in Political science and international relations from Sapienza University of Rome (Italy). econd level master degree in Political science and international relations Sapienza University of Rome g.scepi@unesco.org Climate Change Governance, Institutional Development, Post Conflict and Resilient Development & Occupation Capacity buildingProgrammingProject managementResource mobilization Urban Development |
