Laura Perez
Laura Perez is the Helen Hamlyn Senior Fellow and Director of Graduate Studies at Fordham University’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs, where she directs the academic programs in humanitarian studies and also leads the children and armed conflict research pillar. Originally from Venezuela, she has more than 15 years of experience working on the protection of civilians in situations of armed conflict and is an expert on the UN Security Council’s children and armed conflict mandate. She has worked on these issues with UN agencies and humanitarian organizations in New York and Geneva, and in the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal.
She previously served as a Humanitarian Advocacy and Policy Specialist with UNICEF, Child Protection Team Leader with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Regional Child Protection Specialist on the MRM with UNICEF, Central Africa Analyst with the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, Protection and Advocacy Adviser with the Norwegian Refugee Council, Protection Officer with UNHCR, and Coordinator of the Refugee Assistance Program of the New York City Bar Association. She holds an International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance from Fordham University, a master’s degree in Political Science from Université de Bourgogne, and a bachelor’s degree in Literature and Society from Brown University. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.
