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Philip O'Brien - Regional Director, GRO

© UNICEF/HQ03-0266/Robert Bailey

Philip O'Brien

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Prior to his assignment as Regional Director for the UNICEF Regional Office for Geneva, Mr. O'Brien was Regional Director for UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS/Baltics.  He was also Deputy Director, and Chief, Geographic Section, of UNICEF's Programme Division in New York. In this role he has been responsible for the oversight of global strategic programme support to our regional and country offices. His position has enabled him to obtain a comprehensive overview of UNICEF's work in the CEE/CIS region.  He provided in-country guidance and support to a number of country offices in the region, and participated in several Regional Management Team meetings.

He has also been responsible for UNICEF's programming collaboration within the United Nations Development Group, (UNDP, WFP, UNFPA and other agencies) and has contributed to the development of new programming collaboration between UNICEF and the World Bank.

Prior to this assignment Mr. O'Brien worked in the Office of the Executive Director on matters related to the Secretary General's Reform proposals, assisting in developing UNICEF's contributions to this Report, and in articulating the organisation's programme and operational response to it.

Mr. O'Brien joined UNICEF in May 1988 as Chief, Health and Nutrition in the Bangladesh Country office.  During his tenure, the UNICEF programme of co-operation assisted the Government of Bangladesh in achieving it goals of Universal Child Immunisation, in reaching universal salt iodisation and in and in formulating policies, strategies and legislation to promote and protect breastfeeding and address malnutrition.

In March 1993, he was appointed UN Co-ordinator of southern sector of Operation Lifeline Sudan, the major cross-border UN emergency programme, and was concurrently UNICEF's Chief of Operations for its Programme in Southern Sudan. He was responsible for the overall strategic development of the programme and the operational co-ordination of the consortium of 30 UN and Non governmental organisations operating under the aegis of the OLS.

Mr. O'Brien was appointed, in June 1996, Senior Programme Officer in UNICEF's Office of Emergency Programmes, at headquarters, where he was responsible for operational and policy support to UNICEF offices working in crises situations.

Prior to joining UNICEF, Mr. O'Brien worked with CONCERN WORLDWIDE, an international non-governmental organisation, from 1975 to 1988. He held various senior management positions in this organisation, including as Representative in Bangladesh and Tanzania.

Mr. O'Brien is a national of Ireland. He graduated from the University of Wales, Swansea, U.K. in 1977 with a Diploma in Social Policy and Administration.  In 1984 he obtained a Master's degree in Economic Science (Social Planning) also from the University of Wales, Swansea, U.K.

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IMAGE RELEASE - CREDIT: © UNICEF HQ03-0266 This photograph of UNICEF Regional Director for Geneva Regional Office Philip O'Brien is available for use by bona fide news media organizations as part of reports or feature stories on UNICEF. Release permission is hereby granted for this purpose on the following conditions: - - Image content may not be changed by digital or any other means, except cropping. - Image may not be archived in any format or distributed to a third party by any non-UNICEF entity. No other rights than those specified are either granted or implied. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN UNICEF