Mr. Moustapha Soumaré

El Presidente de la Junta de Directores

Moustapha Soumaré se retiró de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas con más de 40 años de vasta experiencia en el mantenimiento y la consolidación de la paz, el desarrollo y el liderazgo. De 2015 a 2020, actuó como Representante (Político) Especial Adjunto en la Misión de la ONU en la República de Sudán (UNMISS). De 2012 a 2015, fue Representante Especial Adjunto del Secretario General en la Misión de la ONU de estabilización en la República Democrática del Congo (MONUSCO), Coordinador Residente de la ONU, Coordinador Humanitario y Representante Residente del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD). Previamente, de 2009 a 2012 actuó como Representante Especial Adjunto del Secretario General para la Recuperación y la Gobernanza en la Misión de las Naciones Unidas en Liberia (UNMIL). De 2007 a 2009 fue Administrador Auxiliar Adjunto del PNUD y Subdirector Regional de la Oficina Regional para África en Nueva York. Fue Coordinador Residente y Representante Residente de la ONU en Ruanda de 2005 a 2007, y en Benín de 2000 a 2005. Ocupó el cargo de Director de Investigaciones de abril a octubre de 2006 en la Secretaría del Grupo de Alto Nivel sobre coherencia de todo el Sistema de la ONU en las áreas de desarrollo, asistencia humanitaria y medio ambiente. El Sr. Soumaré es egresado de la Universidad de Belgrado, Yugoslavia.

Mr. Kevin S. Kennedy

El Vicepresidente De La Junta De Directores

El Lic. Kevin S. Kennedy comenzó su trayectoria en 1977, desempeñándose inicialmente en la Secretaría de las Naciones Unidas y cumpliendo diversas tareas en misiones y en el Cuartel General de la ONU en Nueva York (UNHQ). En 2007, ingresó a la División de África del Departamento de Operaciones de Mantenimiento de la Paz, donde dirigió el Equipo Operativo Integrado de los Grandes Lagos. En 2011, pasó a ser Jefe del Servicio de Entrenamiento Integrado, y de 2013 a 2014 fue Oficial Encargado de la División de Política, Evaluación y Capacitación. En diciembre de 2013, el Sr. Kennedy lideró el Equipo Operativo Integrado de Malí en el Cuartel General de la ONU, el cual tuvo a su cargo la supervisión y coordinación del apoyo a la Misión Multidimensional Integrada de las Naciones Unidas de Estabilización en Malí (MINUSMA). De 2000 a 2007, trabajó en la Oficina Ejecutiva del Secretario General Kofi Annan.

El Lic. Kennedy ha actuado en misiones de ONU en el terreno en la República Democrática del Congo y Sudáfrica, e integró el equipo de puesta en marcha de la Misión de la ONU en Kosovo. Además, actuó en misiones de mantenimiento de la paz y misiones políticas en varios destinos, entre ellos, Burundi, la República Centroafricana, la República Democrática del Congo, la ex Yugoslavia, Haití, Malí, Timor Oriental y Sahara Occidental.

El Lic. Kennedy culminó su licenciatura en la Catholic University of America de Washington, D.C., y cursó estudios de posgrado en Relaciones Internacionales en la Universidad de Nueva York.

General Awale Abdounasir

General Awale Abdounasir has 21 years of experience in international and national policing. He has worked extensively with the United Nations: He was Police Commissioner for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) from 2016 to 2020, led the Police Component of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) from 2013 to 2016, and was Acting Police Commissioner with the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) from 2008 to 2013. At the national level, he has served as Director of the Forensic Laboratory, Director of the Police Academy, and Chief of Cabinet of the Ministry of Interior of Djibouti.

He is a graduate of the National Police Academy of Saint Cyr au Mont d’Or in France, and he holds a master's degree in Law and Security Policy from the University of Lyon III.

Currently, he serves as the Senior Advisor for Humanitarian Access with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office for Yemen, a role he has held since 2021. He received the United Nations Secretary-General Award for Change Agents in 2019.

General de Brigada (Retirado) Adrian Foster

Major General (Ret.) Adrian Foster retired in 2018 after almost four decades of military service. He commanded a regiment in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was awarded a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service for his efforts.

He has worked extensively with the United Nations in Africa, including as the military’s Chief of Staff for the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and Deputy Force Commander for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). He spent four years at MONUSCO, eventually becoming the Acting Force Commander of 18,000 multinational military peacekeepers at the start of the “M23” conflict.

Currently, he is involved in consultancy work for the United Nations and various international think tanks.

Mr. Amadu Kamara

Mr. Amadu Kamara has over 25 years of experience in administrative and logistical support of political missions, peace operations, and humanitarian relief with the United Nations. He served as Director of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia from 2012 to 2018, where he collaborated with the African Union, the Federal Government of Somalia, and other stakeholders. He helped deploy, sustain, and operationalize 22,000 African Union troops in Somalia. From 2014 to 2015, he served as Crisis Manager for the United Mission for Ebola Emergency Response in Sierra Leone and Somalia. He took this additional position to fight against the single largest global Ebola crisis. He has also worked with United Nations operations in East Timor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, and Lebanon.

Mr. Kamara holds a Bachelor’s in Social & Behavioral Sciences and Economics from the University of New York at New Paltz. He also studied social and behavioural science, economics, and political economy at the New School of Architecture and Design.

Ms. Karin Landgren

Ms. Karin Landgren is a Distinguished Fellow at the NYU Center on International Cooperation. She is the former Executive Director of Security Council Report. She previously led three United Nations peacekeeping and political missions in Liberia (UNMIL), Burundi (BNUB), and Nepal (UNMIN). In 2014, she led UNMIL’s support to the Ebola response in Liberia.

Ms. Landgren has over 20 years of experience working with refugees. She was the Country Representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Eritrea, and Singapore. She also served with UNHCR in India and the Philippines. As Chief of Standards and Legal Advice, Landgren helped revive UNHCR’s responsibility for the protection of stateless persons. Additionally, she was UNICEF’s first Chief of Child Protection.

Ms Landgren is a founding member of the Nordic Women Mediators’ Network. She previously taught at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Economics and a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics, as well as a Certificate in Public Policy and Governance from the University of Maastricht.

Embajador Michel Rentenaar

Michel Rentenaar es miembro del Cuerpo Diplomático holandés y en la actualidad se desempeña como Embajador del Reino de los Países Bajos en Irak. Previamente actuó como Representante Permanente Adjunto de Países Bajos en la OTAN y como Asesor de la Interfaz Civil-Militar en el Cuartel General Supremo de las Potencias Aliadas en Europa. Cuenta con amplia experiencia en el terreno, habiendo co-comandado la Fuerza de Tarea Uruzgan VII en Afganistán. Por otra parte, prestó funciones en las embajadas del Reino de los Países Bajos en la República Democrática del Congo, Egipto, Líbano, Territorios Palestinos, Uganda y Yemen. Actuó durante dos períodos en Irak como asesor político del comandante del batallón holandés y del Jefe de la Autoridad Provisional de la Coalición en al-Muthanna (sur de Irak). Además del neerlandés, su lengua materna, el Embajador Rentenaar habla árabe, inglés, francés, alemán y hebreo.

Coronel (Retirado) Per Ronning

Colonel (Ret.) Per Ronning served 42 years in the Norwegian Army. His deployments include commanding the Norwegian Contingent in Afghanistan in 2005, as well as positions at the NATO Joint Warfare Centre and NATO Headquarters.

His United Nations experience includes working as Deputy Security Sector Reform Coordinator for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) from 2009 to 2010. He was Military Advisor at the Norwegian Permanent Mission to the UN from 2011 to 2015. From 2016 to 2021, he was Chief of the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) in South Sudan. He led an integrated JOC section consisting of civilian, military, and police personnel, providing operational coordination and assessments, training, and situational awareness for the mission. He also supported crisis management for mission leadership.

He studied at the French Staff College in Paris and the NATO Defence College.

Ms. Pernilla Rydén

Ms. Pernilla Rydén has extensive experience working with peace and security over the last 20 years. She has served in numerous United Nations peace operations, including large multidimensional missions and special political missions. Most recently, Ms. Rydén was Chief of Staff of the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) in Yemen. Previously, she served as Head of the Regional and Multilateral Section of the Political Affairs Department in United Nations Stabilisation Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). She also served in the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the Secretary-General’s Panel for the Referenda in Sudan, and the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

In addition to her work with the UN, she has held positions within the European External Action Services (EEAS) and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Ms. Rydén holds a Master’s in Political Science and Economics from the University of Lund, Sweden. She speaks Swedish, English and French.

Coronel (Retirado) Girish Sinha

Colonel (Ret.) Girish Sinha is the former Director of the United Nations Department of Field Support. Since 2016, he has been part of the Transition Team of the Secretary General, where he has been responsible for operational management and support during transitional periods in peace operations. From 2014 to 2015, he served as Director of Mission Support for the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). He has also served as the Director of Mission Support in several UN peace operations. Additionally, he was a keynote speaker for the Gordon Brown Institute of Management at the World Health and Humanitarian Conference. Currently, he is a management consultant with the Global Dryland Alliance.

Before joining United Nations, Mr. Sinha served in the Indian Army for 20 years. He is a graduate of India’s National Defense Academy and the Defense Services Staff College Wellington. He was also trained in Supply Chain Management at the Sloan Management School of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Brigadier (Retirado) Alejandro Gustavo Szejner

Brigadier (Ret.) Alejandro Gustavo Szejner served in the Argentine Air Force for 39 years, specializing in aeronautical logistics. He served as Head of the Argentina Air Force's Peacekeeping Operations Department, responsible for coordinating the enlistment and deployment of Argentine air units and staff to United Nations missions. He was Military Liaison Officer for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) from 2002 to 2003 and Chief CIMCOORD for the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) from 2004 to 2005.

He has worked as an instructor at Centro Argentino de Entrenamiento Conjunto Para Operaciones de Paz (CAECOPAZ) and the Joint Training Center for Peace Operations Chile (CECOPAC). Since November 2020, he has been a Course Leader for online courses.

He holds a legal degree, a Bachelor's in Air and Space Law, and a Bachelor's in Aeronautical and Aerospace Systems.

Coronel (Retirado) Roberto Gil de Vargas

El Coronel (R) Roberto Gil de Vargas se desempeñó durante 40 años en las Fuerzas Armadas uruguayas. Durante su extensa carrera militar, cumplió funciones de mando y administración en el Uruguay, y también en otros países, como comandante de tropas, oficial del estado mayor, administrador académico e instructor.

El Cnel. Gil actuó además en varias operaciones internacionales de paz en África, Asia, Latinoamérica y el Caribe.

Cuenta con más de 35 años de experiencia internacional en formación y entrenamiento de personal militar, policial y civil.

Ha escrito varias publicaciones y artículos sobre operaciones de paz, y también sobre metodología y evaluación de formación y entrenamiento, entre ellos, "Formación y entrenamiento de personal de la región de las Américas que actuará en operaciones de paz" (2015), "Guía metodológica para la capacitación en operaciones de paz" (2009), "Crisis de Liberia: Lecciones aprendidas de la operación de mantenimiento de la paz." (1994), "Sistemas de capacitación y evaluación" (1992) y "Metodología de instrucción y entrenamiento militar" (1985).

Ms. Leila Zerrougui

Ms. Leila Zerrougui has more than 40 years of experience in rule of law and protection of civilians. She served as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic in the Congo (MONUSCO) from 2018 to 2021. She also held the position of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict from 2012 to 2017. Prior to this appointment, she was the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Deputy Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC/MONUSCO) from 2008 to 2012. Her most recent position was as a member of the Independent High-Level Panel on Security and Development in the Sahel from 2022 to 2024. A legal expert in human rights and the administration of justice, Ms. Zerrougui has sought to strengthen the rule of law and protect vulnerable groups, especially women and children.

At the national level, Ms. Zerrougui has had a longstanding legal career in Algeria, where she was appointed Supreme Court Judge in 2000. She holds a degree from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration in Algiers.

Dr. Harvey Langholtz

Asesor de la Junta Directiva

El Prof. Dr. Harvey Langholtz era director fundador del Instituto para Formación en Operaciones de Paz. Cumplió toda su trayectoria en la Guardia Costera de los Estados Unidos, retirándose en 1993 con el rango de Comandante. Fue destacado en comisión por la Guardia Costera al Departamento de Estado de EE.UU., donde de 1991 a 1993 integró la Delegación estadounidense ante las Naciones Unidas y representó a los Estados Unidos en el Comité Especial de Operaciones de Mantenimiento de la Paz (C34). En 1993, ingresó como docente al College of William & Mary de Williamsburg, Virginia, Estados Unidos, donde actualmente es catedrático de Teoría de las Decisiones. El Prof. Langholtz ha escrito varios libros y artículos, entre ellos, The Psychology of Peacekeeping (La psicología del mantenimiento de la paz) y The Psychology of Diplomacy (La psicología de la diplomacia), y ha sido jefe de redacción de la revista Journal of International Peacekeeping. Cursó sus estudios de maestría en la New School for Social Research de Nueva York y en la Escuela de Posgrado de la Marina de los Estados Unidos en Monterey, California, y su doctorado en la Universidad de Oklahoma.

Ramona Taheri

Directora Ejecutiva

La Sra. Ramona Taheri es la Directora Ejecutiva de POTI. Es responsable de gestionar el Instituto de acuerdo con su misión y ha disfrutado de 10 años en el campo de capacitación en operaciones de paz. Recibió una licenciatura en Relaciones Exteriores de la Universidad de Virginia y una maestría en Ciencias Políticas de la Universidad de Columbia.

Otros Miembros De La Junta Directiva

Elisabeth Rosenbaum Maurer, Secretaria

Emily Neal, Tesorera