Osnat Lubrani
Osnat Lubrani (Hebrew: אסנת לוברני) is an Israeli and American United Nations international civil servant and diplomat. Serving in senior UN positions in developing countries affected by humanitarian or political crisis, her work has focused on advancing human rights, gender equality and transition to development, peace and social cohesion, including in Kosovo, Fiji and Ukraine.[1]
Early life and education
Osnat Lubrani was born in Jerusalem and is the daughter of Israeli diplomat Uri Lubrani.[2][3] She grew up in Uganda, Ethiopia and Iran. She graduated from Iranzamin International School in Teheran and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology & Anthropology and History of Africa from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a Masters in Film and Television Production from New York University, and a Masters in International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University.[4]
Diplomatic career
Lubrani served as the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine from 2018 to July 2023. Alongside support to advancing the country’s development and EU integration aspirations, including combatting corruption and advancing rule and law, she oversaw humanitarian operations in conflict-affected eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk and Donetsk regions. In the aftermath of the Russian invasion in February 2023, she led the country-wide humanitarian scale-up to protect and support the refugee and internally displaced population, including the UN and Red Cross (ICRC) operation to evacuate civilians trapped in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
Prior to her service in Ukraine, Lubrani was the Resident Coordinator for the Pacific. In this role, she completed the development of the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) signed by 14 Pacific governments, managed the delivery of 150 million USD over three years, supported governments' response to natural disasters, facilitated political engagement around Fiji's 2014 first democratic elections after an 8-year military rule and managed a significant merger at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office, among other activities.[2]
Lubrani was Development Coordinator in Kosovo for the UNDP as well as the UNDP Resident Representative beginning in November 2009.[4] Among her activities, she led the development of the first UNDAF-like 5-year Common UN Plan for Kosovo; oversaw completion of a 17 million USD project funded by NATO to reintegrate ex-combatants, reorient rule of law work to focus on judicial education and women's access to justice; address small arms control and community safety; combat corruption using social media; and address gender-based violence in strong cooperation with OHCHR and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE).
Lubrani's earlier posts (in reverse chronological order) included Director of the Brussels Office of UNIFEM (a predecessor of UN Women), Regional Programme Director of UNIFEM Bratislava, Deputy UNDP Resident Representative ad interim in Skopje, supporting UNIFEM Executive Director in New York and consulting on development and human rights in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire).[5]
Lubrani currently supports UN Women as ad interim Director of its Office in Geneva, also heading its humanitarian section to implement a Humanitarian Strategy adopted with UN Women’s entry as a full member of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC).
See also
References
- ^ "UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Osnat Lubrani calls for urgent action to systematize vetting and approval of exceptions for civilians to cross the 'contact line'". United Nations Ukraine. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ a b Israel, David (27 February 2022). "Israeli UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine: We Are Committed to Staying and Delivering". The Jewish Press. Brooklyn, New York. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ Cashman, Greer Fay (1 March 2022). "Grapevine March 2, 2022: Tel Aviv Lights Up in Blue and Yellow". The Jerusalem Post. Jerusalem. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Resident Representative, UNDP Kosovo*". Regional Academy in Democracy. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ Cashman, Greer Fay (1 March 2022). "Grapevine March 2, 2022: Tel Aviv Lights Up in Blue and Yellow". The Jerusalem Post. Jerusalem. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.