Miriam Azar

Experience

• 

  Qatar Embassy, London

  Feb 2002 - Jul 2005

  Political Researcher

  1) Political research- Researched and wrote analytical reports for the Ambassador on political developments in the Middle East.- Edited and summarised political documents; drafted speeches; prepared daily reviews of British media.2) Networking- Networked with partners through forums and think tanks such as Chatham House, RUSI, and Wilton Park. 3) Event organization- Successfully organized international conferences in Doha and was responsible for over 100 invitees.

• 

  UNICEF Central African Republic

  Nov 2005 - Nov 2007

  1) Emergency coordination: - Coordinated information at inter-agency and internal levels during major crises and natural disasters. - Actively contributed to work advancing children’s rights and gender mainstreaming through thematic inter-agency forums; provided technical inputs to documents and training modules.2) Gender-based Violence and Child Protection- Developed and delivered trainings on Gender-based Violence (GBV) and gender for: • 20 standby partners on Code of Conduct against Sexual Exploitation & Abuse (Geneva, 12/07); 40 humanitarian actors in Central African Republic (Bangui, 11/07); 40 in Thailand (Mae Sot, 08/07); 35 in Burundi (09/07); 25 military personnel in Belgium (11/06) on GBV; Cluster leads on Gender Mainstreaming into Cluster Approach (Montreux, 07); 40 staff on UNICEF’s Emergency Preparedness & Response training (EPRT) (Macedonia, 10/06). Show less

  • Child Protection Officer (deployment)

    Oct 2007 - Nov 2007

  • Inter-agency liaison, Office of Emergency Programs

    Nov 2005 - Nov 2007
• 

  Women's Refugee Commission, Geneva

  Nov 2007 - Feb 2008

  Child Protection consultant

  Review of Child Protection structures in emergencies- Conducted desk review and interviews on child protection mechanisms within protection structures in emergency countries as part of inter-agency survey for global Protection Cluster Working Group (PCWG).

• 

  UNICEF Sierra Leone

  Jan 2009 - Feb 2010

  1) Child Justice - Managed in the interim the Justice for Children component of the Child Protection programme. - Provided technical support to the Ministry and partners on development of guidelines regarding children’s access to informal and formal justice systems and alternative justice measures. - Provided technical guidance in drafting the guidelines of age assessment with the Ministry. 2) Gender-based Violence- Provided technical inputs to a training manual and a programme communication strategy on female-genital cutting (FGM/C) and a programme communication strategy on sexual exploitation and abuse. 3) Emergency Preparedness- Coordinated and prepared emergency response plans and toolkit for Country Office within just five days. Show less 1) Producing communication material: - Wrote and edited media materials (press releases, Q&As, advisories) on emergencies; - Monitored crises and produced country bulletins. 2) Media relations- Pitched to and responded to media enquiries, organized interviews. 3) Policy- Spearheaded revision of the communication section in UNICEF’s policy document for humanitarian action (Core Commitments for Children). 4) Report launch- Successfully organized launch of Machel Strategic Review for 100 attendees with Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (OSRSG) for Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC).5) Internal Communication: - Initiated and created an intranet portal and developed emergency preparedness tools for communication officers. Show less

  • Child Protection

    Nov 2009 - Feb 2010

  • Media Emergencies, Department of Communications

    Apr 2008 - Jan 2010

  • Emergency Communication officer (deployment, Gaza crisis)

    Jan 2009 - Feb 2009
• 

  UNICEF Haiti

  Mar 2010 - Jun 2010

  Reports Officer

  1) Information management: - Liaised with Clusters and partners to coordinate information and produce timely, results-based, reports on UNICEF’s and Cluster Lead emergency responses, working in challenging conditions. - Responsible for quality assurance of information and internal communication. 2) Preparing briefings: - Prepared briefing notes for senior management and high-level official visits, including for Pres. Clinton's visit (Clinton Foundation). 3) Reporting: - Consolidated, wrote, edited, and designed UNICEF’s Three Month Report after the Haiti earthquake.- Produced daily reports on the situation after the Earthquake, working under pressure and in difficult conditions. Show less

• 

  UNICEF Finland (Finnish National Committee for UNICEF)

  Sept 2010 - Feb 2013

  1) Advocated and communicated on children's rights and UNICEF's humanitarian action in emergencies. 2) Managed a team of 3, overseeing the budget and defining priorities. 3) Provided expertise on emergencies/ humanitarian action, briefed media on emergency response. 4) Managed an Innovations project related to water, sanitation & hygiene in collaboration with Aalto University and UNICEF in Uganda. 5) Advocated for Corporate Social Responsibility. 6) Advocated for increased implementation of children's rights into Finland's Development Policy through a collaborative forum of NGOs. Show less

  • International Advocacy Advisor

    Apr 2011 - Feb 2013

  • Communication & Advocacy Strategy Consultant

    Sept 2010 - Mar 2011
• 

  UNICEF Mauritania (NRC/NORCAP deployment)

  Sept 2012 - Dec 2012

  Reporting and Communication Specialist

  1) Reporting- Responsible for quality assurance, wrote and edited situation and donor reports on the emergencies (nutrition and Malian refugee crises) for donors, UN system, and the public. 2) Communication materials- Produced communication materials (human interest stories, fact sheets, photographs) to enhance visibility on the situation of children in Mauritania.3) Field visits- Planned, organized and accompanied National Committees and high level visits to the field. 4) Liaison - Collaborated with all programme sections, edited reports, translating from French to English. Show less

• 

  UNICEF Lebanon

  Feb 2013 - Nov 2015

  Emergency Communication Specialist

  1) Field missions: - Planning, organizing & accompanying visits to the field (refugee settlements), including for high level delegations (Ministerial, private donors, Executive Directors), celebrity/ Goodwill Ambassador, media, photography/ videography, and UNICEF National Committees. - Successfully prepared a complex mission (2015) with 25 persons, including: Goodwill Ambassador Salma Hayek, private sector Gucci, its parent company Kering, private donor, media, photographer, videographer, and UNICEF National Committee US Fund. - Contributed to obtaining 5 million euros from Finland for UNICEF Lebanon's Education programme. 2) Public Advocacy & Communication: - Actively raising awareness on the issues facing the most vulnerable children in Lebanon through media interviews, writing key messages and human interest stories, using video footage and photography through various channels (social media, UNICEF platforms, traditional media). 3) Media Relations: - Pitching to the media, and planning communication for development campaigns. 4) Developing Communication Strategy for UNICEF Lebanon- Working with programmes to define priorities and objectives for a 2-year period.- Writing the strategy. Show less

• 

  Embassy of Finland

  May 2016 - Jul 2017

  Advisor for Development Cooperation/ Coordinator for Local Cooperation Fund

  Planning & administration of the Embassy's Local Cooperation Fund in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq; Management, monitoring & evaluation of the Local Cooperation Fund projects & reporting; Following implementation of Finland's humanitarian aid & development policy in the region & reporting;Coordination with donors, partners & international organizations in humanitarian & development aid

• 

  Camaleonte Oy Ltd

  Oct 2018 - Dec 2018

  Blog consultant (sustainable travel)

  Wrote blogs on sustainable travel for the consulting company

• 

  Malala Fund

  Feb 2019 - Jul 2021

  In Country Representative, Lebanon & Turkey

  Expanding girls' education initiatives for vulnerable adolescents by working with local grantees.- Representation: representing the Malala Fund, liaising with partners - National & Regional Advocacy: developing & implementing advocacy strategies & objectives- Programmes: networking & identifying Gulmakai Champion candidates; leading the development & implementation of strategic expansion plans; monitoring progress of projects; linking with key actors to support systemic changes- Grants: supporting local grantees in developing funding proposals; administration of grants; monitoring & reporting grant activities; assessing risk mitigation- Fund Development & Partnerships: identifying & fostering partnerships to support MF regional advocacy, development & programming- Communication: collecting with communications team and champions to collect stories of girls in programmes; planning press tours; building rapport with local media; promoting Malala Fund & Gulmakai Champions with national media Show less

• 

  World Food Programme

  Jul 2021 - Mar 2024

  Campaign Manager

  Project management of a multi-market communication plan with the EU and Government stakeholders. Managing the largest funds received for WFP in Communications