PHAP welcomes new colleagues

Nils Arne Kastberg, a long-time humanitarian professional with experience at high levels in the United Nations, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Swedish International Cooperation and Development Agency (Sida), has joined PHAP as a senior advisor, bringing valuable perspectives for the elaboration and implementation of a series of new ideas for PHAP’s development in the coming months and years.

Mr. Kastberg’s last position with the UN was as UNICEF’s Representative in Sudan from September 2009 to January 2012.  Prior to this assignment, he served as UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Latin America and Caribbean regions from 2003. Mr. Kastberg first joined UNICEF in April 1998 as Director of the Office of Emergency Programs (EMOPS) in New York. Prior to his appointment with UNICEF, he held a series of senior-level positions with the Swedish government during the period 1992 to 1998, including Counselor with the Permanent Mission of Sweden in Geneva, Switzerland; Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN Organizations in Rome; and expert seconded to the Office of the High Representative for International Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he covered humanitarian and human rights issues in the northwest of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He began his career with UNHCR, holding a series of increasingly responsible positions in a variety of countries from 1980 to 1988, including Zimbabwe, Sudan, Thailand, Switzerland, and Costa Rica.

Drawing on his wealth of experience as a senior humanitarian practitioner, Mr. Kastberg’s will contribute to PHAP’s continuous efforts to provide its members with relevant services and resources as well as support the humanitarian community as a whole. For example, he will be working on the development of ways for other senior members of the global humanitarian community to advance the profession and support the development of new humanitarian managers and leaders. Ways that such members could be engaged, which are currently being explored by the secretariat, include sharing experiences and lessons learned, contributing to the development of PHAP programs, participating in working groups and discussion forums, and serving as mentors and advisors.

PHAP is also welcoming another new face this month: Róisín O’Grady has joined PHAP as an Events and Communications Intern. Having received a diploma in Public Relations from the Public Relations Institute of Ireland and worked for three years in communications for a number of non-profit organizations in both Ireland and Canada, Ms. O’Grady will be assisting with the realization of PHAP’s busy calendar of courses and workshops over the next few months as well as contributing to the further development of PHAP’s primary communication tools, including our monthly newsletters, website, and social media outlets.