Philippe Lazzarini served as Commissioner-General of UNRWA and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations from 2020 to 2026, leading the agency for Palestine refugees through the most testing period in its history. He joined the United Nations in 2003, after ten years with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Philippe
Lazzarini
His career has taken him from Sarajevo, Rwanda and Angola to Iraq, Somalia, Lebanon and Gaza. He now writes, teaches and advises. He also just published his first book “Witness to Gaza: what cannot be erased” in French. English and Arabic versions to follow.
Career at a glance
2020 - 2026
Under-Secretary-General and Commissioner-General
UNRWA — United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
2015 - 2020
Deputy UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon
UNSCOL; also UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative
2013 - 2015
Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General
UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM); also Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative
2010 - 2013
Deputy Director, Coordination and Response Division
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), New York
"The original purpose of international humanitarian aid, a concept conceived after the First World War, was to alleviate the suffering of civilians during wars and conflicts. Today, however, humanitarian aid is a strategic dimension of foreign policy and diplomatic competition — an instrument of power and war. "
Philippe Lazzarini | 09 December 2023 | Los Angeles Times
Selected talks
24 MARCH 2026
Geneva Graduate Institute, Switzerland
08 JULY 2025
Caux, Switzerland
09 OCTOBER 2024
New York, USA
Selected press
THE GUARDIAN | MARCH 2026
Farewell op-ed
ALJAZEERA | MARCH 2026
Long-form exit interview
CNN | NOVEMBER 2023
Interview
TÉMOIN DE GAZA | Ce qui ne s’efface pas
À partir du 7 octobre 2023, Philippe Lazzarini raconte, depuis l’intérieur des Nations Unies, la guerre à Gaza et ses conséquences mondiales. Entre récit personnel, journal diplomatique et analyse géopolitique, l’ouvrage plonge le lecteur dans les discussions du Conseil de sécurité, les tensions entre États, les campagnes de désinformation, les accusations contre l’UNRWA et l’impuissance croissante du système multilatéral.
Publishing date: October 2026
English and Arabic versions to follow.