Our people

UNIDIR’s leadership

Robin Geiss

Director (D-2, Germany)
Charts the strategic and tactical direction of UNIDIR, raises funds and manages the Institute’s staff.
  • unidir-directorate@un.org
Dr Robin Geiss is the Director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). He was appointed by Secretary-General António Guterres and assumed the post in April 2021. He brings to the position over 20 years of experience in peace, security and international affairs. Previously, he served as tenured Professor and Director of the Glasgow Centre for International Law and Security at the University of Glasgow. He was also the Swiss Chair of International Humanitarian Law at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and Visiting Professor at the Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences Po, Paris. Dr. Geiss has served as Legal Adviser and delegate to the UN Human Rights Council for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and he is an ex officio member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters.

Maliha Khan

Executive Officer
Provides management and oversight of UNIDIR’s Finance, Budget, and Administration team and also its Communications unit.
  • khan16@un.org
Maliha joined UNIDIR in 2020 and has been leading the FBA team which covers budget and finance, human resources and procurement.  Prior to joining UNIDIR, Maliha served as Finance and Budget Officer with the UN Resident Coordinator System based in New York and before that with the Budget and Finance Section of the UN OCHA, in both Geneva and New York.

Heads of Programmes and Projects

Renata Hessmann Dalaqua

Renata Hessmann Dalaqua

Head of Programme
Gender and Disarmament
  • renata.hessmann
    dalaqua@un.org
  • @redalaqua
Paul Holtom

Paul Holtom

Head of Programme
Conventional Arms and Ammunition
  • paul.holtom@un.org
  • @HoltomP
Giacomo Persi Paoli

Giacomo Persi Paoli

Head of Programme
Security and Technology
  • giacomo.persipaoli@un.org
  • +41 22 917 19 30
  • @GPersiPaoli
James Revill

James Revill

Head of Programme
Space Security, Weapons of Mass Destruction
  • james.revill@un.org
  • +41 22 917 28 47
  • @RevillJames
Siobhan O’Neil

Siobhan O’Neil

Head of Project
Managing Exits from Armed Conflict
  • siobhan.oneil@un.org
Chen Zak Kane

Chen Zak Kane

Head of Project
Middle East WMD-Free Zone
  • chen.zak@un.org
  • @chenzak
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