Ms. Flavia Pansieri

Flavia Pansieri was appointed United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights on 15 March 2013.

In the past 30 years she has held a number of increasingly responsible positions in a number of UN system agencies and in various countries and headquarters locations. Most recently, Ms. Pansieri served as the Executive Coordinator of the UN Volunteers (UNV) Programme, from February 2008 to December 2012. Prior to joining UNV, she served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Yemen (September 2004 – January 2008).

Ms. Pansieri started her UN career in 1983 with UNDP in China, where she was responsible for the UNV and TOKTEN (Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals) programmes, as well as for projects in the energy sector. She continued with UNDP in Bangladesh (1987 – 1990) and Myanmar (1990 – 1993), followed by a posting to Laos as Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and thereafter from 1995 to 1998 at UNODC Headquarters in Vienna directing, planning and evaluating activities.

As the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in New York (1998 – 2001), she engaged in promoting women’s economic, social and political participation and in raising awareness about gender equality issues. Before taking up the Resident Coordinator / Resident Representative position in Yemen, she was in charge of the Country Division of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at UNDP, providing guidance and support to programme activities in the various countries of the Arab region.

Ms. Pansieri is an Italian national with a doctoral degree in Philosophy from Milan University, and one in Chinese Language and Literature from Venice University. She is a fluent speaker of English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese and Italian.

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