Speakers

Born around 1969 in Raz-El-Ma, cercle de Goundam, Timbuktu region, secondary school teacher, Director of Programmes at AMSS since 2002, President of the platform of national NGOs active in humanitarian aid in Mali. He has taken part in a number of national and international training courses and consultations in the fields of development and humanitarian aid, including the world summit in Istanbul in 2016, and initiated the first national forum on the localisation of humanitarian aid in Mali in 2022. Officer of the National Order of Mali since September 2022, member of the Humanitarian Country Team since 2018 on behalf of national NGOs and also a member of the INSO advisory board. CCHN facilitator, specialist in leadership of technical teams in emergencies. AMSS is a board member of the Sahel Regional Fund on behalf of national NGOs.

Saria Akkad is a dedicated humanitarian professional with extensive experience in coordination, partnerships, and advocacy within the humanitarian sector.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Law from Damascus University and is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration from the University of the People.

With more than ten years of experience in the humanitarian context with leadership roles in six NGOs, currently with the Syrian NGO Alliance SNA as SNA coordinator (SNA is a local coordination and advocacy network consisting of 25 local NGOs working for Syria response based in Turkey), Akkad has facilitated coordination among members, managed partnerships, and advocated for the needs of Syrians affected by crises. His previous experiences include roles such as Partnership Coordinator and Gaziantep Office Manager, and various other positions focused on project management, capacity building, and advocacy within humanitarian organizations operating in Syria and neighbouring countries.

Akkad has also participated in courses and workshops on negotiation skills, building partnerships, communication, and leadership skills.

Radhya al-Mutawakel is a human rights defender. She is the chairperson and the co-founder of Mwatana Organization, an independent Yemeni organization aiming to defend and protect human rights. For more than 20 years she has worked on human rights including serving on the National Women's Committee in Yemen from 2000 until 2004. In 2017, she was awarded the “Global Advocate Award” from the Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute and was one of Time’s 100 most influential people of 2019. Radhya has brought global attention to the crisis and conflict in Yemen, presenting in front of the UN Security Council, The Congress, as well as the European Parliament.

Specialized in anaesthesia and critical care, with a European Master in disaster medicine, Dr. Raed Arafat is the founder of Mobile Emergency Service for Resuscitation and Extrication (SMURD), established since 1990. Starting with 2007, he coordinated the Healthcare System for Emergencies and Disasters in the Ministry of Health, as well as the Department for Emergency Situations in the Ministry of Interior. With a wide experience in operational coordination of emergency services, he attended numerous training in the field of emergency medical care, control and coordination of emergency services, emergency management, etc. Dr. Raed Arafat owns academic titles and distinctions such as Legion of Honour at the class of Chevalier offered by the President of France, International Emergency Medicine Leadership Award from American Academy of Emergency Medicine, National Order For Merit at the class of Chevalier and Officer offered by the President of Romania, “Commander of the Order of The Lion of Finland” conferred by the President of Finland, “Ordine della Stella d’Italia, nel grado di Grande Ufficiale” conferred by The President of Italy, Mr. Sergio Mattarella.

Santiago Ávila Corrales is a thirty-five-year-old social worker who is the director of Jóvenes contra la Violencia, an organisation that seeks to provide youth with options to escape gang violence in Honduras. Growing up in one of the most violent neighbourhoods in the Honduran capital, Santiago decided to dedicate his life to empowering youth to escape forced recruitment by criminal groups. He achieves this by bringing youth into an organisation that provides tools to resist the call of the powerful gangs that rule much of the country.

Santiago and the network of volunteers that make up JCV are present in many of the communities hardest hit by gangs. There, the group creates safe spaces where at-risk youth can escape the pressures of the streets. The organisation seeks out and supports families at risk of displacement, advocates for laws that protect children and youth. In fact, many of the bills they have advocated for have become law.

Ikenna Azuike started his career as a lawyer, but is now a sought-after broadcaster and television presenter.

After working as a lawyer with Shearman & Sterling in London, Singapore and New York, and with Clifford Chance LLP in Amsterdam, he decided to change course and follow his passions for broadcasting and social activism. Together with his wife, Mette te Velde, he co-founded the Strawberry Earth Foundation to fast forward our transition towards a sustainable planet and he created the satirical news show What's Up Africa. His show was subsequently commissioned by the BBC, aired on BBC World News television for 6 seasons, was shortlisted for an Association of International Broadcasters Award. Since 2017 Ikenna has worked on a variety of television documentaries for Dutch broadcasters.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Ikenna was also the chairman of The Correspondent Foundation, a foundation launched by the Dutch journalism platform De Correspondent from its inception to 2023. In 2023 he was appointed to the Board of Tony's Chocolonely Mission Foundation B.V.

Ikenna Azuike is moderating the session : "PLENARY -The hidden cost of conflict : addressing sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo".

Maimouna Ba is born on 23 January 1996 in Dori, capital of the Séno province in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso, and her friends call her " Maman sahélienne! " She is 27 years old and she has become a benchmark in her area for the fight she is waging to support women in their quest for resilience and the preservation of their dignity in the face of an extremely difficult security situation for them and their children. She has a degree in marketing and management from the Institut Burkinabè des Arts et Métiers, but she has been immersed in humanitarian and philanthropic work with the people of the Sahel region since the security crisis broke out in that part of the country in 2016. Her work with the association “Femmes pour la dignité du Sahel” (Women for Dignity in the Sahel), which she chairs, won her the Young Activists Summit 2023 prize at the United Nations, and she decided to use this prize to set up the “Maman Sahélienne foundation”, which will start operating in 2024.

Beth Bechdol is Deputy Director-General at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In this role, she continues her service to food and agriculture – now on a global scale. Ms Bechdol is responsible for FAO’s work on Emergencies and Resilience, which involves providing emergency agricultural assistance from the onset of a crisis, preventing and addressing acute hunger, and supporting countries experiencing food crises. She oversees FAO’s work on Resource Mobilization and South-South and Triangular Cooperation. She also leads programmes in the area of Plant Production and

Protection and oversees FAO’s main technical advisory committee on agriculture, the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) as well as the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat.

Before joining FAO, Beth was President and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana, the Midwestern state’s economic development initiative focused on advancing the agbioscience sector and developing 21st century talent.

Beth’s dedication to public service in agriculture and her extensive trade and farm policy experience started in Washington, D.C. where she served in key roles as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and as Economist on the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Beth was raised on a multi-generation family grain farm in rural Indiana. She received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in international law and international affairs and her master’s degree from Purdue University in agricultural economics.

Josep Borrell Fontelles is, since December 2019, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. He previously served as Spanish Foreign Minister (2018-2019) and as President of the European Parliament (2004-2007), of which he was a Member from 2004-2009. Having initially been trained as an aeronautical engineer and economist before his entry into politics, he also held several positions in the Spanish government from 1984-1996, was President of the European University Institute (EUI) and held the Jean Monnet Chair in European Economic Integration at the Complutense University of Madrid (2013-2016).

In May 2023 Mr Edward Chaiban was appointed as Assistant Secretary-General to serve as the Deputy Executive Director, Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, for UNICEF. Prior to this appointment Mr. Chaiban was the Global Lead Coordinator for COVID-19 Vaccines Delivery Partnership (CoVDP) heading an inter-agency partnership between UNICEF, WHO and Gavi. Mr Chaiban has extensive experience of working with UNICEF in a number of positions such as Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Director of Programmes, Director of Emergency Programmes and Representative in Ethiopia, Sudan and Sri Lanka. Prior to joining UNICEF, Mr. Chaiban was Country Representative for Catholic Relief Services in Haiti, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and Political Science from Tufts University and a Master of Arts Degree in Development and Arab Studies from Georgetown University, USA.

Mr Jagan Chapagain is the Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of the IFRC. He was appointed by the IFRC Governing Board in February 2020 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mr Chapagain has extensive experience in leading effective and principled humanitarian response around the world and has dedicated his life to helping empower local communities.

He brings decades of experience in building and leading inclusive teams and forging trustful partnerships to address global challenges, ranging from climate to health, and from migration to protection, gender, and inclusion. He has also championed policies and programmes that promote youth engagement and volunteering, and that strengthen localization and accountability in humanitarian action.

He began his humanitarian journey as a youth volunteer with the Nepal Red Cross and has extensive experience in, and broad knowledge of, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Prior to being appointed Secretary General, he served as Under Secretary General for Programmes and Operations at the IFRC. He was also previously Chief of Staff and Regional Director for Asia Pacific, where he provided leadership during large- scale humanitarian crises and built resilient communities alongside National Societies and other partners.

An engineer by training, Mr Chapagain holds certificates inLeadership and Turnaround Management, Emerging Social Sector Leadership, and High Performance Boards.

A national of Nepal, he is fluent in Nepalese, English and Hindi and has basic knowledge of Urdu and Russian.

Since February 2024, Hans Das is the Deputy Director-General and Chief Operations Officer of the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) of the European Commission. Before that, he was Director for Emergency Management and rescEU, where he oversaw the EU operations coordinated by the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre and the development of a strategic reserve of response capacities called rescEU.

Hans joined the European Commission in 2004. In May 2010, he was appointed Head of DG ECHO's Emergency Response Unit, where he coordinated the EU’s response to various natural and man-made disasters in the world. In March 2012, he was appointed Head of the Civil Protection Policy Unit. After that, between October 2016 and November 2020, Hans headed the unit dealing with terrorism and radicalisation in DG HOME.

Hans holds a Ph.D. degree in public international law and started his career at Leuven University. From 1997 to 1999, he was Head of the Legal Department of the International Commission for Real Property Claims of Refugees and Displaced persons (CRPC), established by the Dayton Peace Agreement, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Afterwards, he served as a consultant on post-war property restitution issues to the UN in Kosovo (1999-2000).

Hans Das is moderating the session: "Beyond donorship: what role for the EU crisis response tools in humanitarian settings?".

Anouk is a Brussels-born communication professional with extensive experience covering humanitarian crises. After obtaining an MA in communication science from the VUB (Free University of Brussels) her interest in other cultures and war reporting landed her a job a press officer and campaigner at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). She handled media relations, facilitating access for journalists and photographers during the Rwanda genocide, the war in ex-Yugoslavia, the HIV/AIDS emergency, and the famine in South Sudan with extensive travel to the field before taking on the role of MSF’s international communication coordinator. She was the Belgian development agency Enabel’s first external communication advisor and worked as a campaigner against overfishing for WWF. A staunch believer in the European project, she joined ECHO’s field network in 2012, with assignments as Regional Information Officer based out of Senegal, Kenya and Jordan before returning to Dakar in 2023. Anouk and her colleagues cast their efforts on responding to the under-reported humanitarian crises in the Sahel and revealing the plight of people in need far removed from the spotlights.

Anouk Delafortrie is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Lisa Doughten was appointed OCHA’s Director of Financing and Partnerships Division in November 2022. Ms. Doughten brings over 30 years’ experience in humanitarian and development settings, with a strong commitment to creating impact through strategic partnerships and financing solutions, managing international operations and gender equality. Between 2008 to 2022, she served in various leadership roles in OCHA, UNICEF and UN Women building partnerships, financial support and advocacy for people affected by crises and poverty.

Prior to that, she focused on field operations through her work with the World Food Programme (2004-2008) and the US Agency for International Development’s Disaster Assistance Response Team in the former Yugoslavia (1993-1998). She also worked for a private sector consulting firm, during which she designed and implemented disaster preparedness and response plans in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

Ms. Doughten, an American national, has an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a BA in International Studies from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Maïlin Fauchon is the Coordinator of the Global Logistics Cluster a formal partnership of logistics professionals, led by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) whose purpose is to support global, regional, and local actors in overcoming logistics constraints to the delivery of global humanitarian assistance.

With over 20 years at WFP, Maïlin has worked in Niger, Chad, the Philippines, Senegal during the Ebola Outbreak, Haiti, and Nepal. Her work included supply chain management, resource mobilisation, management of UN Humanitarian Response De-pots, and leading the Augmented Logistics Intervention Team for Emergencies (ALITE).

Her expertise in partnerships and logistics is vital amid global crises, including conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, the Sahel, and the increasing impacts of climate change.

Before WFP, she worked in water resource management and collaborated with NGOs in Mali, Kosovo, Albania, and Morocco.

Maïlin holds a postgraduate degree in Humanitarian Assistance specialised in Logistics and Humanitarian Law from the University of Aix-Marseille III, and a Masters Degree in International Finance

Emma is the Implementation Lead with the Risk Informed Early Action Partnership, supporting partners to turn ambition in action with a special focus on REAP Target Two and creating an enabling environment to mainstream and scale early action. Overseeing the development and implementation of the Getting Ahead of Disaster Charter, launched at COP28 by UK, Samoa and UAE: www.gettingaheadofdisasters.org

Former emergency response specialist with experience leading programmes and teams across a variety of complex contexts in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Syria, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Pakistan, Somalia, Philippines.

Emma Flaherty is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Caroline Gennez (°Sint-Truiden, 1975) is the Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation and Major Cities. She is responsible for Belgium’s development cooperation policy, humanitarian aid, and implements projects to improve the living, working and housing conditions in Belgium’s big cities. Before that, she was a Senator, member of the Belgian Parliament and member of the Flemish Parliament. She was also deputy mayor of Mechelen between 2007 and 2012. At the same time, in 2007, she became the first female chairwomen of the Flemish social-democratic party sp.a (now Vooruit). She studied political sciences at the Catholic University of Leuven and did volunteer work in several organisations for many years. Both experiences inspired her to go into politics. She joined the Young Socialists and became their president in 1998.

Her political passions are education, work, and economic affairs. Since 2013, until becoming a minister, she was the chairwoman of the University Association Brussels. She also sat on the executive board of Erasmus University College and the Free University of Brussels. As a member of the executive board of the Party of European Socialists (PES), Caroline is a firm believer in bringing together the different socialist, social-democratic and labour parties in the EU to push for more progressive policies in Europe.

Mr Charles Goerens has hold many political mandates in his long career in politics. After being elected twice to the Luxembourgish Parliament in 1979 and 1984, he served as President of the Western European Union Assembly, before returning to the national Parliament in 1989. In 1999, he entered Luxembourgish Government and served as Minister for Development Aid and Humanitarian Action, Minister for Defence and Minister for the Environment. Additionally, he was elected Member of the European Parliament in 1994, 2009, 2014 and is currently serving his fourth legislative term in the European Parliament. Here he is Vice-President of the AFCO committee and member of the DEVE committee (Renew Europe Coordinator) and substitute member in the AGRI, BUDG and DROI committees.

Catherine-Lune Grayson joined the ICRC in 2016. She leads the organization’s policy team, as well as its climate policy work. She has carried out research on the humanitarian consequences of converging climate risks and armed conflict and co-led the development of the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations with the IFRC. She has previously focused on the experience of populations displaced by armed conflict and violence. Catherine-Lune has worked in East and Central Africa for several years for the Danish Refugee Council, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She is trained in political science (Sciences Po, Paris) and international law (Université de Montreal), and holds a Ph.D in anthropology (Université de Montreal).

Catherine-Lune Grayson is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

United Nations Secretary‐General António Guterres appointed Martin Griffiths of the
United Kingdom as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator in May 2021.

Mr. Griffiths brings extensive experience in humanitarian affairs. Since 2018 he served at as the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen. Between 2014 and 2018, he served as the first Executive Director of the European Institute of Peace. Between 2012 and 2014, he served as an adviser to all three Special Envoys of the Secretary-General for Syria, and Deputy Head of the United Nations.

Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS). From 1999 to 2010, Mr. Griffiths was the founding Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva.

He also worked in the British diplomatic service and for various international humanitarian organizations, including UNICEF, Save the Children and Action Aid. In 1994 he became the Director of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva and, from 1998 to 1999, served as Deputy to the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator in New York. He has also served as United Nations Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Great Lakes and in the Balkans.

Mr. Griffiths holds a Master Degree in Southeast Asian studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, and he is a qualified barrister.

Born in 1951, he is married and has two children.

Jamil Abdo Ali, the CEO of Tamdeen Youth Foundation. Jameel has over 22 years of extensive expertise in program and project management within both humanitarian and non-humanitarian fields, including 15 years in management roles. With a Master's in Project Management and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, his leadership over eight years in humanitarian efforts, emergency response, economic recovery, peacebuilding, and local development is noteworthy. As the CEO of the Tamdeen Youth Foundation, Jameel leads the localization movement in Yemen and collaborates closely with ICVA, RSH, NEAR, and other platforms, holding positions in the NEAR Leadership Council and the Operational Policy and Advocacy Group (OPAG).

• May 2023: Director for Strategy and Policy (former Disaster Preparedness and Prevention) - European Commission, DG ECHO

• 2019-2023: Deputy Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Johannes Hahn, responsible for Multiannual Financial Framework, Annual Budget, relations with International Financial Institutions and Treasury

• 2010-2019: Cabinet Member of Commissioner Johannes Hahn in charge of neighbourhood and enlargement (2014-19) and regional policy (2010-14).

• 2007-2010: State Secretary, Ministry of Regional Development

• 2007: Head of the Budget Team - European Commission, DG for Regional Policy

• 2003-2007: Head of the Regional Policy Unit, Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU

• 2000-2003: Head of Unit, Ministry for Regional Development, Regional Policy Programming Department

• Education: Senior Research Fellow, Foreign Trade Research Institute; PhD in Economics (Warsaw School of Economics, Poland); MA in International Economic Relations (University of Economics, Poznan, Poland)

Hanna Jahns is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Mr. Marwan Jilani is the Vice-President of Palestine Red Crescent Society and former Director General. Prior to taking up his role with PRCS Mr. Jilani occupied a number of senior management positions at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) including, head of Mekong Country Cluster Support Team (CCST) based in Bangkok, Thailand; Head of Delegation and Permanent Observer of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to the United Nations in New York from 2009 to 2016; and Head of the Middle East and North Africa regional office of the IFRC, based in Amman, Jordan, from 2007 to 2009.

Mr. Jilani also held senior positions with the Palestinian Authority including Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Deputy Permanent Observer to the UN.

Rebecca KABUO, born in Goma, DRC, graduated in clinical psychology. She grew up in a context of war, poverty, social injustice and bad governance, which outraged her and motivated her to join the non-violent struggle within LUCHA. In 2017, she received the international "Women of Courage" award from the U.S. Department of State 2018: 100 influential women of the DRC 2019, won the "Young activist summit" and returned in February 2020 in the "Geneva summit for human rights and democracy." In 2021 attended at Harvard University the student and faculty conference on "The intersection of human rights and Covid19 throughout the world". In December 2022 Rebecca takes part in the UN Security Council meeting to talk about the situation in the east of the country, women's participation in the elections, and the public's expectations of MONUSCO in terms of protecting Congolese women and girls. Rebecca is currently volunteering with a collective in GOMA ACTIVE to help internally displaced people with basic social needs.

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge of Belgium embarked on his role as WHO Regional Director for Europe on February 1, 2020, shortly before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Since then, he and his team have led WHO’s response to this health emergency across 53 countries encompassing Europe and Central Asia.

Lessons learnt from the crisis, along with other key health priorities, are encapsulated in the WHO European Programme of Work, which reflects a dual track approach to health: Preparing better for mounting health emergencies even as countries strengthen essential health systems and services including for non-communicable diseases.

Having qualified in medicine, surgery and obstetrics, Dr Kluge’s extensive global experience includes seminal years with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Belgium amid health and humanitarian crises in Liberia and Somalia, as well as serving as the Moscow-based Regional TB Advisor for countries formerly part of the Soviet Union.

He joined WHO in 1999, first as TB/HIV Project Manager at WHO Russia, and then at WHO Myanmar as TB Medical Officer, eventually becoming Team Leader for the HIV, TB and malaria unit.

Dr Kluge moved to the WHO European Regional Office in 2009, and a year later was appointed Director of the Division of Health Systems and Public Health, as well as Special Representative of the Regional Director to Combat Multi/Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

In his current role, Dr Kluge advocates all the more strongly with governments and funders for health systems strengthening, prioritizing primary health care as a cornerstone of public health. “For me, universal health coverage is more than a slogan,” he says. “Strategic, practical investments, grounded in human rights and propelled by political will, can transform societies and countries – accelerating the achievement of health for all.”

Dr Michael A. Köhler is Ambassador and co-lead of the Grand Bargain agreement improve the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian action.

From August 2019 to January 2024 Dr Köhler was Deputy Director-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations in the European Commission’s DG ECHO. From April 2022 to March 2023 he served as Acting Director-General of DG ECHO.

Michael Köhler joined the European Commission in 1994, where he held several positions, including as Director for the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood in DG DEVCO in 2013 and 2014 and as Director for EU-Neighbourhood Policy at DG NEAR, where he was responsible for cooperation with Mediterranean Arab countries and Israel (2015-2019).

Before joining the Commission, Michael worked as a representative of Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation in Morocco and Tunisia (1987-1993), leading a series of German-funded development projects, before joining the Policy Planning Department of the Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development in Germany (1993-1994).

Michael Köhler holds a Dr. phil. in History and Middle Eastern Studies from Hamburg University (1987).

Michael Koehler is moderating the session : " Shifting the lens: transitioning from humanitarian aid to sustainable solutions through private investment ".

Andrea Koulaïmah is the Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and Pacific in the European Commission’s Directorate General for civil protection and humanitarian aid operations (DG ECHO) since 1st May 2020. She also has a strong resources management background, as head of unit responsible for the management of the ECHO field network worldwide between 2015 and 2020 and, earlier in her career, as deputy head of unit of DG ECHO’s legal and financial unit. Ms Koulaïmah graduated in political science/international relations (University of Strasbourg and Trinity College Dublin) and holds a Masters in European Studies from the College of Europe (Bruges- Belgium). Since the 2022-2023 academic year, Ms Koulaïmah is a visiting professor at the College of Europe’s International Relations Department where she teaches a course on European Humanitarian Aid policy.

Andrea Koulaimah is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Vaios Koutroulis is a professor of public international law at the ULB Faculty of Law and Criminology. He has given numerous lectures on international humanitarian law (IHL) and international criminal law, including courses for members of the armed forces, humanitarians and other professionals. He has published extensively on IHL and jus contra bellum. Vaios Koutroulis is a member of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission, the only treaty-based standing body addressing compliance with the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their First Additional Protocol.

Vaios Koutroulis is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Mr. Pim Kraan is the CEO of Save the Children Netherlands since September 2014 and is the CEO sponsor for the Global humanitarian work of the Save the Children. He is a member of the Save the Children International Management Committee and bears specific responsibilities for guiding the humanitarian team and Save the Children Europe. He is founding father of the Dutch Relief Alliance; a unique collaboration between 14 Dutch based International NGO’s.

After MSF Mr. Kraan worked for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 19 years; he was the Deputy Head of the Humanitarian Aid division and led the response to the flooding in Mozambique in 2000 and the Asian tsunami of 2004. He was deputy Ambassador to Singapore from 2006 till 2010.

Mr. Kraan started in the humanitarian sector in the nineties as a member of the Docters Without Borders (MSF) Emergency Team. He coordinated missions in countries such as Rwanda, Bangladesh, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Iraq, Angola and Azerbaijan.net

Ms. Esther Kuisch Laroche is the Director of the Division of Partnerships and Specialized Support (DPSS). Ms. Kuisch Laroche joined UNDSS from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) where she served as the Director of the UNESCO Office in San José and UNESCO Representative to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. From July 2014 to September 2018, she was the Director of the UNESCO Office in Tehran and UNESCO Representative to the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkmenistan. From 2012 to July 2014, she served as the Chief of the Donor Relations Division of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Jerusalem. Prior to this, Ms. Kuisch Laroche held roles with the Office of the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UNICEF, including as the Chief of OCHA's Financial Tracking Service Unit. Prior to joining the UN, she worked with several international NGOs in different countries including Colombia, Liberia, South Africa and Afghanistan, in the fields of development, human rights and humanitarian aid. Ms. Kuisch Laroche holds a Master's degree in Latin American Studies from Leiden University in the Netherlands and a Master's degree in Education (Lifelong Learning and Adult Education) from the Pennsylvania State University in the United States of America. She is fluent in Dutch, English, French and Spanish with a good working knowledge of German and Brazilian Portuguese. Ms. Kuisch Laroche is a Dutch national. She is married and has three children.

Nic Lee (UK) is the founder and Executive Director of the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO, www.NGOsafety.org). His career spans +20 years of frontline humanitarian work across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia with wide experience across leadership, programming, and field operations with leading international NGOs. Prior to founding INSO, he spent seven years in Kabul as Director of the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO), providing direct support to NGOs in the context of a major humanitarian crisis and international armed conflict. Since 2011, he has led INSO from innovative start-up to become an essential security coordinating body for NGOs, providing safety and access support to more than 1,200 partners in high-risk countries. He holds a Masters degree in Development Practice from Oxford Brookes University Centre for Emergency and Development Practice and a diploma in Humanitarian Assistance from the University of Geneva. He is a member of the UN Saving Lives Together Oversight Committee and serves as an International Advisor to the Centre on Armed Groups. He is based in The Hague with frequent travels to the field.

He has an extensive career in the field of international development and multilateral affairs both in international organisations and the Spanish government. Prior to his appointment as AECID Director, he held several positions at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) both in the Global Relations Secretariat and the Office of the Secretary-General. As a development practitioner, specialised in economic governance, competitiveness and private sector development. He also worked at the World Bank in Washington DC as Legal Counsel covering the Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean regions.Mr. Leis García holds a Law Degree from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, a Master of Laws (LLM) Degree from Harvard Law School and a dual Master in Public Administration (MPA) Degree from the London School of Economics and Sciences Po Paris. In addition to Spanish, he is fluent in English, French and Portuguese.

Mr. Janez Lenarčič is currently serving as Commissioner for Crisis Management in the European Commission, which took up the mandate in December 2019. In this capacity, he is responsible for EU civil protection as well as humanitarian aid, with an overall focus on ensuring that European Commission has the tools and the capacity to respond swiftly and efficiently whenever the EU is called upon, whether in Europe or elsewhere in the world.

Prior to this assignment, Mr Lenarcic has served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the EU in Brussels from 2016. Before and as of 2014, he held the Secretary of State position in the cabinet of the Slovenian Prime Minister. His previous experience also entails the position of Director of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw from 2008 to 2014. He also served as Secretary of State for European Affairs, including representing Slovenia during the Lisbon Treaty negotiations in 2007 and later representing the Slovenian EU Council Presidency to the European Parliament in 2008.

In 2002 and 2003 he held the position of State Secretary in the cabinet of the Slovenian Prime Minister, after which he started to serve as Slovenian ambassador to the OSCE. In 2005, he was also Chairman of the Permanent Council of the OSCE in Vienna. In 2000 he started serving as adviser to the foreign minister and the following year he became the diplomatic adviser to the then Slovenian Prime Minister. Between 1994 and 1999 he was posted to Slovenia’s Permanent Representation to UN in New York, where he also served as the alternate representative of Slovenia on the UN Security Council.

Mr. Lenarčič is the recipient of France's highest award as Officier de la Legion d'Honneur. Next to his native Slovenian his languages are English, French and Serbian. Mr. Lenarčič holds a degree in international law from Ljubljana University.

Sandrine Lusamba, aged 35 and a young woman activist, feminist and human rights defender, has more than 10 years of professional experience in projects promoting and defending specific rights of women and children, community protection and strengthening the public health system in areas of displacement and return in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has expertise in gender, inclusion and equality; backup; project management and holistic response to gender-based violence, including reproductive health, child protection and community resilience. She has extensive experience working and managing partnerships with United Nations agencies, international and national organizations, state authorities, local leaders and community organizations; and in the management of project grants funded by United Nations agencies, diplomatic missions, international organizations and foundations.

Andrew Morley has been World Vision International's President & CEO since 2019, leading the organisation’s work across 100 countries with 35,000 staff. Andrew is member of IASC and just concluded his two-years mandate as IASC’s Champion for Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment (PSEAH) - the first ever from an international non-governmental organisation. He is also currently vice-chair of the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response (SCHR).

With nearly 20 years of experience in aid programming, strategic development, NGO coordination, and policy formation, Jamie carries a strong belief in the pivotal role NGOs play in finding solutions to global challenges. He leads the ICVA Strategy which sets the framework for the direction in which it evolves and transforms the network. Rooting them more deeply in their mission of principled and effective humanitarian action, this strategy sets their collective values, ways of working and aspirational system-wide transformations.

Jamie Munn is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Gloria is a 24-year-old Ugandan young woman advocate born, raised and studied in several rural communities of Uganda. Gloria is a recent graduate from one of Uganda’s rural based science University called Busitema University. Gloria holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Economics.

Gloria’s advocacy journey started in 2019 after her family and community at large faced the effects of a prolonged drought majorly caused by the impact of climate change. This led to poor harvests, starvation of domestic animals, general hardship and poverty for the community that mostly depended on agriculture. The effects of the drought had far reaching impacts for Gloria and her family including her elder sister becoming a victim of teenage pregnancy.

This lived experience ignited a passion for climate change advocacy driven by the desire to find solutions to help her family and community tackle the adverse effects of climate change. This passion informed her academic choices at university, and her interactions with her peers and wider community.

Gloria is currently a Ugandan representative of the She Leads Climate Change Cohort.

Sorcha O’Callaghan is the Director of the Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI, one of the world’s leading think tanks on humanitarian affairs. She leads HPG’s analysis and engagement on rights in crises, humanitarian system reform, and resilience in climate and conflict affected environments. A specialist in displacement, civilian protection and humanitarian action, she has worked extensively in East Africa and her policy, academic and media work has been published widely. Prior to HPG she was Head of Humanitarian Policy at the British Red Cross and previously coordinated the Sudan Advocacy Coalition; an NGO policy and advocacy consortium in Sudan. With a background in law, Sorcha has also worked in the refugee and asylum sector in Ireland.

Sorcha O'Callaghan is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Janina Ochojska was elected to the European Parliament for the 9th legislative term. She is member of the Development Committee, Human Rights Committee and substitute in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

Graduate of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, where in 1980 she obtained a master's degree and began scientific work in the astrophysics laboratory in Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences. She was involved in the opposition activities and creating of the NSZZ Solidarnosc in Toruń. From the early childhood, due to the polio disease, she is physically disabled. As a teenager, during her stay in France in the 1980s, after the lifesaving surgery and medical treatment, she became a volunteer of the EquiLibre -organization providing humanitarian aid for children in Poland. In 1989, together with other people, founded the first Polish EquiLibre foundation, which since 1994 has been operating under the name of the Polish Humanitarian Action, and is the first that king of organization created in Poland. In December 1992, Janina Ochojska organised and personally took part in the first humanitarian aid convoy to Sarajevo which lead to the involvement of the polish society in help not only for Sarajevo but also for Belgrade, Kosovo, Skopje and Tuzla. During her work for an organization, she visited many countries and the most remote parts of the world providing help for inhabitants.

The successful creating of the first Polish Humanitarian Action and the 25 years of the foundation’s activity lead to providing help to 9,6 million people, building 58 schools, undertaking action in 44 countries, building 943 water intakes and creating better sanitary and living conditions for people all over the world.

She is also the winner of many awards, including: “The Woman of Europe” conferred by the Commission of the European Communities (1994), the Pax Christi International Peace Award (1995), the Atsuhito Nakata Memorial Foundation Award (1996), the Order of the Legion of Honour awarded by the President of the Republic of France (2003), the Józef Tischner Award (2006), the Bene Merito honorary distinction conferred by the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (2009), and the Lech Wałęsa Award (2010). In 2011, the President of the Republic of Poland awarded Janina Ochojska the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

Ebele Okobi describes herself as a values-led, transformational leader who builds mission-driven teams and organizations bent upon shifting the arc of the moral universe towards justice. She is passionate about disrupting systems of harm and amplifying untold stories and unheard voices. Prior to joining TNH, she was a Venture Partner for Equity and Impact at Ada Ventures, built and led the Africa and Africa, Middle East & Turkey public policy teams at Facebook, was the Global Head of Human Rights at Yahoo, worked in brand at Nike EMEA, was an advisory services director at Catalyst in Amsterdam and the Bay Area, a health policy advocate at Consumers Union in San Francisco and a corporate lawyer at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York, London and Paris.

Ebele Okobi is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Medical Doctor with infectious diseases specialty, an ongoing Master on Public Health, and over fifteen years of substantial experience in technical support and management of health projects and programs in the humanitarian sector.

Prior to join the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as Director, Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) in June 2021, Mr Paulsen served as Director ad interim of the Coordination Division at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva. He oversaw various branches responsible for response services, assessment planning, monitoring, and inter-agency services. From 2018 to 2020, he led OCHA's Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama City. His career in the humanitarian sector began in the mid-1990s, working with NGOs in Haiti and Central America. He gained extensive operational and leadership experience in crisis response, including serving with the UN in Rwanda, and leading a Southern Africa Food Security Emergency Response program for a major international NGO in the early 2000s. Before joining OCHA, he held roles such as Director of Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs in Washington DC and Senior Director of Humanitarian Quality, Strategy, and Policy in Geneva for NGOs. Mr. Paulsen holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom.

Rein Andre Paulsen is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Ambassador Deike Potzel was appointed Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on 17 October 2023.

She continues to be Director General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilisation, Peace Building and Humanitarian Assistance at the Federal Foreign Office.

Previously, she served as Inspector General at the Federal Foreign Office. She was Germany’s Ambassador to Ireland, Deputy Director-General for Central Services at the Foreign Ministry and Head of the Personal Office of Federal President Joachim Gauck.

She also served as Deputy Head of Division for Personnel, Staff Development and Planning, Desk Officer for Iran and the Gulf Countries as well as the EU- Enlargement desk at the Foreign Ministry. She was posted to Iran and Singapore.

Ambassador Potzel studied English and French Language and Literature. She is married with two children.

Mr. Martin Raiser became the World Bank’s Vice President for the South Asia Region on July 1, 2022.

As the Regional Vice President for South Asia, Mr. Raiser manages Bank relations with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and oversees a portfolio of projects, technical assistance and financial resources worth almost US$55 billion.

Before joining the region, Mr. Raiser was the World Bank’s Country Director for China and Mongolia, and Director for Korea since March 1, 2019. He led a team that managed an evolving partnership with China, a growing program of support to Mongolia, and a deepening knowledge partnership with Korea focused on innovation and technology.

Mr. Raiser holds a doctorate degree in Economics (summa cum laude) from the University of Kiel, Germany, and degrees in Economics and Economic History from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. Mr. Raiser worked for the Kiel Institute of World Economics and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, where he was Director of Country Strategy and Editor of the Transition Report. Since joining the World Bank in 2003, Mr. Raiser held positions as the Country Manager in Uzbekistan, Country Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, Country Director for Turkey, and most recently Country Director for Brazil.

Mr. Raiser, a German national, is married and has four children. He has published numerous articles in refereed economic journals and authored several books.

Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham is the Head and Representative of OCHA–Geneva and Director of the Coordination Division - OCHA-Geneva. Before that, he was the Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator at United Nations OCHA, from March 2020 to February 2022. Mr. Rajasingham previously also served as Director of OCHA’s Coordination Division from September 2018 to February 2020. Mr. Rajasingham’s career in the field of humanitarian affairs and with the United Nations system spans over 25 years, and includes assignments in Headquarters as well as in crisis settings, with OCHA and UNICEF. Most recently, he served as Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis. Prior to that, he held such senior appointments as the Director of the Secretariat of the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on the Global Response to Health Crises and OCHA’s Head of Office in the occupied Palestinian territory. His other field assignments also include Afghanistan, Iran, Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina and Sudan. At Headquarters, he has served in various capacities in the response, protection and policy activities. Originally from Sri Lanka, Mr. Rajasingham is an economist trained in the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

With a strong legal background and an expert in capital markets law and regulation, Paula has been leading LuxSE’s Regulatory Affairs team since 2019 and in 2023, also took over one of LuxSE’s core business teams International Primary Markets. As Head of Listing & Regulatory Affairs, Paula tracks legal and regulatory reforms at the national, European Union and international levels to anticipate barriers, as well as overseeing all listing activities carried out at LuxSE.

Heidy Rombouts is a lawyer and a social scientist with over 20 years of experience in the field of international cooperation and human rights. She has worked closely with national and international governments and institutions, but also with local actors and civil society in different countries. She started her career as academic researcher and policy advisor at the Institute of Development Policy and Management (University of Antwerp) with a focus on working in fragile situations and conducted intensive field work in Rwanda. Thereafter, she took up various roles as expert and team leader in the Belgian and German Development Agencies (BTC now Enabel, and GIZ) at headquarters – with multiple assignments in central Africa - and in Mali and Kenya. As project coordinator for a United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and board official at the World Bank Group she gained a solid understanding of the multilateral working environments. Before taking up her mandate of the Belgian Director General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation in October 2021, she was the managing director for Plan International Belgium.

She holds a PhD in social and political sciences from the University of Antwerp, a master's degree in law and a master's degree in sociology from the KU Leuven. She published internationally and consulted in the field of international relations and human rights.

Heidy Rombouts is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Nadine Saba, a lawyer registered with the Tripoli Bar Association, is the co-founder and director of Akkar Network for Development-AND, enjoying 18 years of experience with NGOs’ activity in Lebanon. She is a Steering Committee member of the LHDF (Lebanon Humanitarian and Development Forum), serving as well on the NEAR (Network of Empowered Aid Response) leadership council and acts as the NEAR Sherpa for the Grand Bargain and in the Facilitation Group. She has been involved with rural development programs and relief activities for the Syrian refugees (educational support, livelihoods, protection), women and youth empowerment, women/GBV and child protection, along with development projects with municipalities in Lebanon (including social cohesion and capacity building). 

Miss Saba has designed and provided trainings in Lebanon and in the region on local governance and women empowerment. Prior to that, she had worked for the U.S. State Department funded Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) as Alumni Coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. She had previously served as a program officer for IRI (International Republican Institute) in the Beirut office. Her work within various settings including communities with diverse backgrounds provided her with a grassroots experience helping her bring closer and interact with different groups. 

Ms. Saba holds a DEA in banking and financial markets law from Saint Joseph University of Beirut, and an LLM in public international law from Queen Mary University of London. She is a member of the Chevening alumni Network, the MEPI-LAA in Lebanon, along with being a John Smith fellow.

H.E. Amb. Cessouma Minata Samate is a Burkina Faso diplomat with over 30 years of experience in international relations and diplomacy. She was elected Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian and Social Affairs of the African Union Commission in 2021. Prior to that, she was AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Ethiopia, Permanent Representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. She also served as the State Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation in Burkina Faso.

Anya Sitaram is a documentary producer, conference host and communications consultant specialising in health, environment and international development. A former BBC World News anchor, Anya is a founding director of Rockhopper Media an award winning television and film production company.

Anya has overseen scores of television documentaries which have run on channels around the world including BBC World News, PBS, Discovery, Nat Geo and Al Jazeera among others.

Anya has been moderating high level conferences for the European Commission, UN bodies, international NGO’s and leading corporations for the last 15 years on topics including global health and environment, climate, food security, agriculture, science and technology.

She has worked with leading humanitarian organisations as a documentary producer and conference facilitator.

Anya began her career as a BBC trainee before becoming ITN Health and Science Correspondent and later a presenter on the BBC’s flagship science programme Tomorrow’s World.

Anya Sitaram is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Ms Mirjana Spoljaric is President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), commencing in October 2022. Ms Spoljaric most recently served as the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator of the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP), and Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Earlier Ms Spoljaric served in several assignments in the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in Bern, and as Counsellor and Head of the Political Team at the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations in New York.

Kathryn Striffolino is the Director of Humanitarian Policy for Mercy Corps, leading the organization’s humanitarian policy work in the US and globally. She formerly served as Senior Manager for Humanitarian Policy and Practice at InterAction where she represented collective humanitarian NGO perspectives within the UN humanitarian system at all levels, led the team responsible for humanitarian country response operational, policy and advocacy support for the humanitarian NGO community, the IASC’s work on bureaucratic and administrative impediments, and InterAction’s work on sanctions, counterterrorism and financial access. Previously, Katie worked for Amnesty International, Physicians for Human Rights, Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee where she worked on international human rights crime investigations, crisis prevention and response research, analysis and advocacy, and humanitarian negotiations, access and protection. She has a BA in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of New Hampshire and an MA in Refugee Studies and Forced Migration from the University of London.

Kathryn Striffolino is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Hafsar is a former Rohingya refugee from Myanmar and the co-Secretary General at Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network [APRRN]. Prior to this, Hafsar served as the chair of Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network[APRRN] until February 2023. She is a Steering Committee Member of Asia Pacific Network of Refugees[ APNOR], a member of Global Refugee-Led Network[GRN], and an interim working group member of Global Movement of Statelessness. She had worked with refugee communities on the prevention and response to SGBV[Sexual Gender-Based Violence] and child marriage in Malaysia for 8 years. She has extensive knowledge of the range of SGBV issues faced by refugee women as well as of their experiences prior to leaving their country of origin and is a passionate advocate for improved prevention and response measures to SGBV.

Cecile Terraz is a passionate Supply Chain woman with more than 20+ years of experience in the private & humanitarian sectors focused on developing innovative and reliable supply chains.

Cecile started her career in FMCG supply network operation for Procter & Gamble in internationally renowned brands such as Pantene and Gillette. After a brilliant career in the private sector, she decided to move into the non-profit in 2015 relocating to Cambodia to work for a Swiss NGO.

Cecile joined PLAN International as global director of supply chain & procurement in 2019 and graduated with an Executive MBA in supply chain in 2020, focusing her efforts on purpose-driven supply chain & technology for the humanitarian sector. Cecile is a founding member of hulo (www.hulo.coop), The first humanitarian cooperative connecting actors and pooling resources to optimize logistics & supply chain.

That innovative start-up allows global & local actors to share resources and joins their supply chain to increase the impact of aid.

Cecile Terraz is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Marta Valdés García is Oxfam International Humanitarian Director. She provides leadership for the confederation on the design of quality standards and on the use of evidence to support organizational learning and performance as well as overseeing Oxfam’s surge and advisory support to emergency responses. She is responsible for fostering and driving innovation within technical areas and across sectors.

Ms Valdés García has a background in economics and a master’s degree in Development and Humanitarian Assistance. With over 20 years’ experience in relief and development work, she has led and supported an important number of humanitarian programs in Central America, Africa and in the South Caucasus. She has worked with different INGOs at field and headquarter level and with FAO. During her career, she has engaged in the quality agenda as a food-security advisor, monitoring and evaluation practitioner and advisor as well as in different leadership positions focussing on quality work and producing evidence and innovation to improve humanitarian work.

Since April 2019 she co-chairs the IASC Result Group 4 on Humanitarian-Development collaboration.

Marcia Vargas is a humanitarian professional with over 25 years of experience in the context of armed conflict and natural disasters in Latin America and Africa.

In her current role, as Operations Manager for Latin America and Caribbean region and facilitator in humanitarian negotiations, she shares her experience with other humanitarian workers faced with securing humanitarian access, protection, and assistance for affected populations.

After completing her studies in Political Science at the Javeriana University in Colombia, she studied International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights at the Geneva Academy. She graduated from the Humanitarian Leadership Program of Deakin University in Australia.

Namukabo Werungah is a multi-award-winning journalist with nearly 15 years of experience in multimedia news production. She is currently a Staff Reporter and Editor for Social and Breaking News at The New Humanitarian. Before joining TNH, she worked for the BBC for five years, where she contributed in creating niche Programmes including the first fact-checking television news programme, and a COVID-19 special programme at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. As the BBC Storytelling Ambassador for Africa, she mentored and trained young people in storytelling techniques. Previously, she worked at Nation Media Group, where, in her final year, she covered Kenya's general election in one of the country's political hotspots, Nyanza. Namukabo is Kenya's Journalist of the Year, 2023. She is the inaugural winner of the Merck More Than a Mother Media TV Awards. She has studied Journalism and International Relations (Peace and conflict) at the United States International University.

Christina Wille is founding member and Director of Insecurity Insight. Following her time as senior researcher at the Small Arms Survey in Geneva, Christina has dedicated her work to improving data collection on violence and its consequences for humanitarian aid. Under her leadership, Insecurity Insight has developed tailor-made AI technology to identify reports of conflict related violence against aid operations, healthcare, education and food security and conducts social media sentiment analysis to better understand the humanitarian space on social media platforms. She is the editor of the annual Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition report and serves as board member of the h2h network and the Explosive Weapons Monitor. A former stagiaire and young expert at the European Commission, she has evaluated EU conflict-related programmes. A German and Swiss national, Christina holds a MPhil in International Relations / European Studies from the University of Cambridge, UK.

Christina Wille is moderating the session(s) mentioned below.

Born in 1978, Patrick Youssef has a bachelor’s degree in public law, a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and Strategic Negotiations, an LLM in International Law in armed conflicts, a certificate of completion of an Executive Education on Global Leadership and Public Policy as well as a training certificate on ‘’Transformational Leadership’’.

Carlos Zorrinho is a Portuguese politician and University Professor. Graduated in Business Management at the University of Évora and PhD in Information Management he is Full Professor in Business Administration Department in the University of Évora.
• 1995-1997: Member of the Portuguese Parliament; • 1997 to 1999: Coordinator of ProAlentejo - the Alentejo Integrated Development Programme; 2000-2002: Deputy Secretary of to the Minister for Internal Affairs. • 2005: National Coordinator of the Lisbon Strategy and the Technological Plan, reporting directly to the Prime Minister. • 2009 to 2011: Secretary of State for Energy and Innovation. • 2011-2014 Member of the Portuguese Parliament and Leader of the Socialist Party’s Parliamentary Group
• From 2014: Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group;- From 2014 to 2022: Head of the Portuguese Delegation- Full member of the ITRE Committee - Chair of the European Parliament's Delegation to the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly - Co-President of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly - European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Humanitarian Aid- Substitute member in the DEVE Committee.

Yuyun Wahyuningrum is the Representative of Indonesia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) for two terms: 2019-2021 and 2022-2024.

She has more than 29 years of experience working in human rights organizations at the national, regional, and international levels. She is the Founder and Advisor to Weaving Women’s Voices in ASEAN (WEAVE), a network-based feminist organisation working on the rights of women and girl-children in Southeast Asia

She was the Team Leader of the READI project (2015 – 2017) to support the human rights work of human rights institutions in ASEAN, before pursuing her PhD at the International Institute for Social Studies, at Erasmus University in The Hague, The Netherlands.

She was the Chair of AICHR in 2023 and received the Mahidol’s Outstanding Alumna Award of 2024. She was selected as one of the Indonesian women experts in 2018 at the #100womenwiki and appointed as International Democracy Goodwill Ambassador from 1 May 2021 to 31 December 2022 by The Korea Democracy Foundation.

I am an Associate Professor in Media and Global Development. My research and teaching focusses on the intersection of media studies and development studies. I am currently researching media’s influence on aid, international media freedom initiatives, international journalism and media capture.

Catherine Russell became UNICEF’s 8th Executive Director on February 1, 2022, overseeing the organization’s work for children in over 190 countries and territories. Ms. Russell has decades of experience in public service, with a focus on empowering underserved communities around the world and developing high-impact policies and programmes to support women and girls, including in humanitarian crises. She has previously served under both President Biden and President Obama’s administrations as well as serving as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues at the U.S. Department of State. Before re-entering government service in 2020, she taught at the Harvard Kennedy School as an Institute of Politics Fellow.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, magna cum laude, from Boston College and a Juris Doctor degree from the George Washington University Law School.

Melinda is the Director General, Humanitarian and Development at the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). She was previously FCDO Strategy Director from September 2020 to July 2023, and before that Strategy Director at the Department for International Development (DFID). Melinda is responsible for delivering the UK government’s International Development Strategy. She is also FCDO lead for global themes and programmes on:
Global HealthEducation, Gender and EqualityHumanitarian, Migration and Food SecurityConflict, Stabilisation and Mediation International Finance, including the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)

Tristan Azbej is the State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians at the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Prior to his assignment in 2017 to lead the Government’s unique program dedicated to persecuted Christians, he served as a diplomat a four-year term at the Embassy of Hungary in Tel Aviv, Israel. Besides his foreign service in the Middle East, he has also lived for four years in the US, where he worked towards and received his PhD degree in Geosciences at Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University). Earlier in his career the State Secretary had been an active politician in the youth partner organizations of Fidesz-KDNP and also participated in development projects as a manager. He held various policy advisory positions (political advisor to the Parliamentary Factions of Fidesz-KDNP, political advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office, Head of Department for Parliamentary Affairs at the Ministry of Human Capacities). Azbej is married with three children.

Over 25 years of humanitarian experience which includes senior management positions both in the field and in headquarters. Have worked in a variety of contexts, including conflicts (Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, Timor Leste, Angola, Iraq), natural hazards (Hurricane Mitch in central America, disasters in Southern Africa region), and longer-term crises (Zimbabwe). Currently, Head of MSF's Humanitarian Diplomacy and Chair of the Directors of Operations' platform.

Michel joined IFC 20 years ago and has since held several field positions in North Africa, the Middle East, India, Kenya and now Istanbul.

Michel is the Head of the newly established IFC-UNHCR Joint Initiative on Private Sector Solutions in Forced Displacement, which leverages both IFC and UNHCR expertise to grow the business engagement of private companies in areas impacted by forced displacement. The geographical mandate of the Joint Initiative is global. The JI aims to support operational teams on implementing more projects and to create and share operational knowledge on private sector in forced displacement.

Throughout his career at IFC, Michel has focused on developing tailored (and often innovative) advisory proposals to help IFC's clients deepen their relationships with the local economy.

In his previous position, as FCS (Fragile and Conflict Situations) Manager for Africa, Michel helped IFC growing its business in these challenging markets. Michel has been leading IFC’s engagement in the forced displacement space in Africa, notably in Kenya around the Kakuma area.

Matthew Nims is a Deputy Assistant to the Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), the U.S. Government lead for international disaster response. With a mandate to save lives, alleviate human suffering, and reduce the impact of disasters, BHA monitors, mitigates, and responds to global hazards and humanitarian needs. The Bureau also promotes resilience by preparing communities for disasters before they strike, and by helping people recover and move beyond crises.

Prior to the establishment of BHA, Matthew Nims served as the Deputy Director of USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (FFP), and before that, as FFP Acting Director from January 2017 to October 2018. In 2018, he was a finalist for the Sammies People's Choice Award, held every year by the Partnership for Public Service for outstanding public service, for leading USAID’s response in providing emergency food assistance to 20 million people in countries fighting famine that year.

Mr. Nims has over 20 years of international development and emergency programming experience, and has been with USAID since 2000. His career with USAID began in Indonesia, where he worked for three and a half years managing and overseeing development and emergency food assistance programs. He then served in Washington, D.C. for four years backstopping Asia and Latin America for the USAID Office of Food for Peace, responding to the Tsunami in Asia as well as several cyclones and other disasters.

Mr. Nims also worked on a broad portfolio of health and HIV prevention programs in Guyana for a year, followed by another year posting in Afghanistan managing energy and water infrastructure creation programs.

Mr. Nims was a Water and Sanitation Technician in the Dominican Republic with the Peace Corps and has a Master’s Degree in International Public Health from Emory University.

Mr Hartzell took up his current position on 15 June 2023 following an assignment as Senior Adviser for UK Affairs during the Swedish Presidency of the European Union in the first semester of 2023.

He has extensive EU experience, including as Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia (2018-2022), Senior Adviser to the President of the European Council Donald Tusk (2014-2018), Adviser/Member of Cabinet of EU High Representatives Catherine Ashton (2012-2013) and Javier Solana (1999-2005), and Senior Adviser to EEAS Deputy Secretary General Helga Schmid (2013-2014).

Between 2005-2011 he worked at the Swedish Representation to the EU as Minister Counsellor, Deputy Representative of Sweden to the EU Political and Security Committee, Representative to the EU Politico-Military Group and Member of the Boards of the EUISS and ESDC.

Before joining the Swedish Foreign Service, Mr Hartzell held positions at the Swedish Ministry of Defence and the Swedish Armed Forces.

In terms of academic background, Mr Hartzell served one year as Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Wyoming, US, and has been a researcher at the Stockholm Institute of East European Economies. He holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Stockholm School of Economics.

He is married and has two daughters.

Maryna Slobodnichenko obtained a Master's in Law from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in 2002, a Master of Management from Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics in 2021, and an international MBA from Guglielmo Marconi University in 2020-2021. The deputy minister undertook postgraduate training in international humanitarian law and healthcare legislation in Ukraine and the USA. Professionally, she worked as a lawyer from 2001 to 2018, eventually leading her own firm, Kairos Group. Mrs. Slobodnichenko actively supported Ukrainian healthcare reform and business relocation and contributed to public-private partnerships and transplantation system improvements, leading the Medical Law Committee from 2018 to 2021.

Ali Al-Jaberi is a professional moderator and presenter with a focus on International and European affairs. He is a former TV Correspondent for Associated Press (Europe), war reporter, and Lecturer of International Relations at The Hague University.

Franck Bousquet is deputy director of the IMF’s Institute for Capacity Development, overseeing the IMF’s global partnerships. Previously, he was the deputy director coordinating the Fund’s engagement with Fragile and Conflict-affected States (FCS). Notably, Franck led the preparation of the IMF FCS Strategy approved by the Board in March 2022. Before joining the IMF, he was the senior director of the World Bank’s Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) Group where he led the development of the Bank’s first FCV Strategy. In this role, he mobilized expertise and supported teams across the Bank to design and implement programs in collaboration with humanitarian-development-peace partners, including the implementation of the $25 billion International Development Association financing package for the poorest countries. Franck has several years of leadership experience in low-income and middle- income countries in Africa and the Middle East, including significant work on resilience and reconstruction issues such as the World Bank’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis. He led an international effort, through the set-up of the Global Concessional Financing Facility, providing for the first-time concessional financing to middle-income countries facing refugee crises. Franck previously held roles in the public and private sectors focused on sustainable development, finance and capital markets. He holds an MBA with a specialization in finance from Columbia Business School and a graduate diploma in engineering from France.

Lukah Katangila is a Choreographer, Dancer, Interpreter and Activist born in Goma North Kivu Eastern DR Congo. He aims to meet people, to share dance styles in different cultures around the world and to bring a United Africa from central to east and west, from south to north Africa and Europe. His passion for hip hop, contemporary and traditional African dance originates within his native country. From the age of six he got in touch with the arts within the Mboka Dance Family in his grandfather’s Kingdom, where he was introduced to dance and the play of African instruments like djembe, likembe, kalumbatini, marimba, dungu and kinubi. After the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano in 2002 he founded the project Ndoto Goma Kids with his brothers and friends. Children are often nicknamed Kadogo (Engl Little unimportant thing) by armed groupes in Kivu. This project between the Great lakes region claims the rights of children, speaks up against ethnic conflicts and the enrolment of children in armed groups. Their message is clear: STOP the abuse of children in the front lines of war.

Ms Stella Ronner-Grubačić was appointed Deputy Managing Director for Values and Multilateral Relations on 1 November 2023 at the European External Action Service (EEAS).

More particularly, she is in charge of EU relations with multilateral organisations, including the UN and the Council of Europe, focusing on human rights and democratic processes through elections.

Before joining the EEAS as Ambassador for Gender and Diversity in July 2021, she worked for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During her long career as diplomat, she served as Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Croatia, Romania and Moldova as well as Greece.

Natalie Boucly of France commenced her appointment as Deputy Commissioner-General (Programmes & Partnerships) of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on 7 December 2023.

Ms. Boucly previously served as Acting Deputy Commissioner- General of UNRWA and brings to the position twenty-five years of international experience, in addition to substantive field experience in sensitive conflict and post-conflict settings with a particular focus on governance, crisis response and elections.

She joined UNRWA in 2022 as Director of Legal Affairs. Prior to that, she was the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Central African Republic (2019-2022). From 2014 to 2019, she served as the Resident Representative/Country Director of UNDP in Tanzania and in Burundi. She has also worked in Sudan as the Head of the Resident Coordinator’s Office.

Ms. Boucly began her career in the United Nations system as a legal adviser, working in New York, Rome, Kenya, Kosovo, and Haiti in various United Nations organizations, including the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Prior to joining the United Nations, she worked in the private and public sector in London.

She is a qualified barrister-at-law (England and Wales) and a law graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Ms. Boucly is fluent in Bosnian, Croatian, English, French, Italian and Serbian. She is also proficient in German, Russian, Spanish, with knowledge of Arabic and Swahili.

Juliet is ALNAP 's Director. She is responsible for working with the Secretariat to coordinate strategy and ensure the coherence, implementation and impact of ALNAP's work.

Juliet has 20 years’ experience of humanitarian programming and senior level strategic management in NGOs with a particular focus on performance and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL). Juliet joined ALNAP from Action Against Hunger UK where she was their Director of Operations. She has worked on the design and delivery of humanitarian response and resilience programmes across the world, and is passionate about the role of evidence, learning and uptake in improving the effective delivery of humanitarian aid.

Albashir Adan Ibrahim is an international development professional with over twelve years’ experience in humanitarian development. He is the Executive Director for Nexus Consortium Somalia - a platform that brings together eight local organizations drawn from all over Somalia in a bid to transform the humanitarian, development, and peace ecosystem through locally led action. He has been extensively involved in a number of areas, which include, but are not limited to, fundraising, institutional development, anticipatory emergency response, research, and peacebuilding in both Somalia and Kenya. He is also the focal person for the Somali Humanitarian Hub (SHH).

A doctor of political science. Graduate of international relations at the University of Łódź and a scholarship holder of the Surrey University in Great Britain and the university in Joensuu, Finland. He was awarded a PhD in social policy at the University of Warsaw upon defence of his doctoral dissertation “Evolution of Swedish and British models of social policy in 1993–2003”.

In 2002, he started working at the Office of the Committee for European Integration where he dealt with the benefits and costs of Poland’s membership in the EU in the Department of Analyses and Strategies. In 2010–2014, he was Director of the MFA Department of Foreign Policy Strategy. He was editor and co-author of “Priorities of Polish Foreign Policy 2012–2016”. In 2014–2016, he served as Permanent Representative of Poland to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and later as Vice-President of Globsec, a think-tank based in Bratislava.

He sat on the programme and research boards of PISM, Institute for Western Affairs, Centre for Eastern Studies (2010–2015), and Institute of East-Central Europe. In 2010–2013, he was a member of the Polish-Czech Forum. He was also a regular contributor of “Tygodnik Powszechny”.

He speaks French, English, and Slovak. Married with three children.

Undersecretary of State Jakub Wiśniewski coordinates issues related to economic coordination, human rights, global challenges, and Poland’s activities within the United Nations. He coordinates international development cooperation. Jakub Wiśniewski is responsible for relations with the Latin American countries. He also coordinates issues related to the strategy and programming of Poland’s foreign policy.

Faris Arouri is the director of the Association of International Development Agencies - AIDA, the main umbrella of international non-governmental organizations working in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). With more than 85 member organizations, AIDA members’ mandates, focus and areas of intervention are highly diverse.

Jean-Pierre Delomier began his career working for various INGOs. In 1992, he co-founded Atlas Logistique, an NGO specialising in humanitarian aid delivery, refugee camp management, transport, logistics coordination, and infrastructure rehabilitation. The organisation operated in several countries, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda, Mali, Mauritania and Kyrgyzstan.

Jean-Pierre first served as Atlas' Director of Administration, Finance and HR, and later became its Executive Director until the merger with Handicap International in 2006. He then joined HI's Executive Management Team, taking on the role of Director of the Humanitarian Action Division created to strengthen the organisation's response to major humanitarian crises, particularly in South Sudan, Lebanon, Iraq, DRC, Gaza, Indonesia, Haiti, Pakistan, Syria, Mali and Ukraine. His objective was to contribute to relief efforts by providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable groups. He is now Deputy Director of International Operations for HI and Director of Atlas, a technical and operational division of Humanity & Inclusion.

Vadym holds an MD degree and an MBA in Marketing Management. He holds multiple certifications on product design and change management (CSPO, CSM, CLP, Certified Service-Design Trainer).

Revival Institute for Future (RIF) is a non-profit think tank, which specializes in designing innovative and sustainable interventions in healthcare, providing strategic consulting and project management for a wide array of public health initiatives. It created 50+ products and has a track record since 2002.

Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, RIF organized Project 22 – a transformative ecosystem on mass casualty preparedness. It was organized together with SAMS and UHU, was supported by IOM, and transformed 39 hospitals from 8 frontline regions. Also, RIF conducts LifeHarbor – a burnout reduction program for frontline healthcare workers. It was supported by SAMS and CFLI, covered 27 hospitals from 7 frontline regions, and is now making a measurable impact on the mental health of 1080 doctors and nurses.

Director of International Relations and Partnerships at King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre. In her role, she plays a crucial role in fostering relationships between organizations and individuals across the globe. Involves developing and implementing strategies to enhance international partnerships, managing cross-cultural communication, and promoting collaboration between stakeholders from different backgrounds. Identifying opportunities for collaboration, building strong relationships with partners, and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and resources to achieve common goals.

Prior to that, she worked as a Director of Community Support at King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre. In her role, she manages the implementation of humanitarian projects to support education, protection, early recovery, and agriculture in vulnerable and affected communities around the world in partnership with the UN, INGOs, and NGOs.

Also, she worked in the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During her work at the Ministry, she was seconded to the United Nations Development Programme in New York as a Fundraising and Engagement Consultant and co-founded the Global Goals Jams initiative to promote the SDGs and find durable solutions. Later, she served in the Saudi Embassy in Rome as the head of the International Cooperation Unit to liaise with international organizations and manage the G20- Saudi Presidency file. She was also a member of the Leader’s Program at the Ministry. Previously, worked in the Centre on Disability Studies (CDS), University of Hawaii at Manoa to support students with disabilities and build local capacities to improve services through a wide range of education, research, and activities in

collaboration with other disciplines. She published several articles on inclusive education and community-based technologies. She is also a reviewer for different international journals.