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Alina Pleszewska
Lawyer / VP , Vigilance Imaging Protocols Inc.
Montreal, Canada
International lawyer (fluent in English, French, Spanish, Polish) with 8 years of intergovernmental and interagency affairs experience working for the UN (UNICEF, UNHCR), currently Vice-President of a Montreal-based medical enterprise, seeks opportunities in human rights, executive management and coordination.
Send email Contact Alina Pleszewska
Area of Expertise:
  • Capacity Building, Training, Advocacy
  • Director, CEO, COP, President
  • Human Rights, Law, Migration, Conflicts, Justice
  • Monitoring, Evaluation, Policy, Research, Analysis
  • Social, Education, Gender, Youth, Child
Professional Experience:
8 years working for the United Nations:

2008-2013:
UN and Intergovernmental Affairs Specialist (Governance, UN and Multilateral Affairs Division), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Headquarters, New York, USA
• Managed UNICEF’s engagement with the UN General Assembly (GA): Advised Member States on child rights issues, informing their negotiations of intergovernmental documents;
• Advised senior management on current intergovernmental discussions, opportunities, and sensitive issues that may impact the organization’s work;
• Jointly coordinated several inter-divisional committees for high-level Conferences, i.e. 2010 MDG Summit, 2011 LDC IV Conference, and yearly GA General Debates;
• Managed the preparation of several Secretary-General’s Reports;
• 2010-2011: Acting Executive Manager of UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director Hilde F. Johnson;
• 2008-2009: Acting Senior Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean.

2006-2008:
Programme Officer for Latin America and Caribbean (Regional & Interagency Affairs Section), UNICEF New York, USA
• Represented UNICEF country and region-specific issues in interagency and interdivisional fora, i.e. Integrated Mission Task Force on Haiti, Regional Directors Focal Points team, and advisory groups in support of furthering UN coherence;
• Chaired the UN Inter-Agency Framework Team for Coordinating Early Warning and Preventive Action Working Group for Bolivia, and member of the Expert Reference Group on conflict prevention;
• Monitored and analyzed inter-regional and country developments for trends in socio-political environments;
• Provided briefings and support to Executive Director or senior staff on all issues/visits relevant to the region.

2005-2006:
Emergencies and Disaster Risk Management & Amazon Programme - Consultant, UNICEF Quito, Ecuador
• Pilot Initiative on Emergencies and Disaster Risk Management: Coordinated Municipal Risk Management Plans in high hazard zones along the Colombian border, generating disaster preparedness through the educational sector;
• Gave capacity building workshops to local and provincial authorities; developed teaching material on School Emergency Preparedness Plans, and on managing the effects of the humanitarian conflict;
• Prepared project proposals to government and financing institutions (USD 4 million), including the first UNICEF/UNHCR/WFP Ecuador protection project successfully approved by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security;
• Assisted UNICEF’s response team during massive refugee flows, and the political crisis of April 2005.

2004-2005:
Resettlement Unit – JPC, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Quito, Ecuador
• Assessed legal merits of refugees’ cases for resettlement, interviewing refugees with special protection needs (security threats, medical needs, women at risk, child protection);
• Collaborated with resettlement countries' embassies, local governments, IOM, NGOs and Field Offices to seek durable sol
Education:
Political Psychology Summer Institute 2009
Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA

Master of Public and International Law, LL.M 2004
University of Melbourne Postgraduate Law School, Melbourne, Australia

Professional license to practice law 2001
Bar School of the Province of Quebec, Montreal, Canada

Certificate in French Law 2000
University of Poitiers Law School, Poitiers, France

Bachelor of Laws, LL.B 2000
University of Montreal Law School, Montreal, Canada

Additional training:

Certificate of Basic Mediation 2008
Safe Horizon Mediation Programme New York, USA
Affiliations and Achievements:
- Member in good standing of the Quebec Bar Association since 2002
- Several publications, including UNICEF guides on disaster risk reduction, on General Assembly resolutions, on UN Secretary-General's Reports, and expert consultant for the International Bureau of Children's Rights' guide on children and armed conflict.

Available for:
  • Consulting assignments
  • Job opportunities
  • Being headhunted – make me an offer

    Years of Experience:
    10-15 years
    Highest Qualification:
    Masters
    Languages:
    English, French, Spanish, Polish
    Nationality:
    Canada , Poland
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