François Fouinat

Since 2001, Mr. Fouinat has been associated with the Commission on Human Security (CHS) in a number of ways.  First, as the Executive Director, he managed the work of the Commission and supervised the elaboration of its report: “Human Security Now”.  As Executive Secretary of the Advisory Board (ABHS), he led initial efforts to promote and disseminate findings and conclusions from the CHS.  After the establishment of the Human Security Unit, he also served as Special Adviser to the ABHS and to the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security.

Since January 2006, he has been Senior Adviser to Peter Sutherland, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Migration and Development. In this capacity, he played a central role in the conception and establishment of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, the first global governmental process that deals with migration and its links with development, with a view to promoting dialogue and cooperation.

He had previously performed a number of important functions within the UN's humanitarian sector  across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. After serving as Chef de Cabinet for Sadako Ogata, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, he was in charge of UNHCR in the Asia Pacific region.  In 1992/1993 he served as Coordinator for UNHCR's activities in the Former Yugloslavia and in 1999 he was made UNHCR's Chief of Operations for the Kosovo Emergency.

Mr. Fouinat graduated from the Faculty of Law and received a post-graduate diploma from the Institut des Hautes Etudes de l’Amérique Latine, in Paris. He is a member of the Board of Handicap International Federation.

Mr. Fouinat, who is a French citizen, speaks fluent English and Spanish.

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