Senior Adviser, Human Rights, Security Council Reform and selection of the next Secretary General
Meena Syed is team coordinator for the human rights, humanitarian and legal team within the Office of President of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Her special focus is on human rights issues in the Third Committee, the responsibility to protect (R2P), as well as the relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly (including issues such as Security Council reform, the selection process of the next Secretary General) and issues relating to the Middle East.
Meena is a career diplomat and has served at the Permanent Mission of Norway twice (2005-2007 and 2011-2015), most recently as counsellor responsible for the Security Council and the Middle East, as well as human rights issues in the Security Council including the protection of civilians, children in armed conflict and Responsibility to Protect (R2P). In addition to dealing with the Middle East, North Africa and Ukraine, she has been responsible for issues relating to the reform and the working methods of the Security Council. She has previously also worked as the human rights-delegate at the Mission of Norway, responsible for the General Assembly’s Third Committee.
Meena has previously been posted to the Middle East, and served at the Norwegian Representative office to the Palestinian Authority, and has worked in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ legal department and section for peace and reconciliation.
Meena speaks English and Norwegian.