Gilles Michaud, Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security
Gilles Michaud of Canada took up the role of Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security on 1 July 2019.
Mr. Michaud, who since 2016 served as Deputy Commissioner for Federal Policing with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), brings to the position a wealth of experience in counter-terrorism, national security and management of substantial human, physical and financial resources. Mr. Michaud has an extensive background in multilateral organizations as the lead on peacekeeping, international capacity-building and liaison activities for the RCMP and he has served on the Executive Committee of INTERPOL.
During his three decades as a police officer, Mr. Michaud oversaw the RCMP’s national security criminal investigations program and led the Federal Policing Program, with responsibility for investigating sophisticated criminal activity, national security threats, transnational organized crime, protective policing, witness protection and border security.
Mr. Michaud is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Program in National and International Security and McGill University’s Executive Development Program. He is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Executive Institute’s 39th Session, the FBI National Academy’s 213th Session and the Leadership in Counter-Terrorism Program administered by the FBI National Academy.
Mr. Michaud has received numerous awards, including the Governor General’s medal for academic achievements, the Queen’s Jubilee and RCMP Long Service medals. In January 2014, he was appointed to Canada’s Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.
Unaisi Lutu Vuniwaqa, Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security
Unaisi Lutu Vuniwaqa of Fiji took up the role of Assistant Secretary‑General for Safety and Security with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security on 12 November 2021. Ms. Vuniwaqa succeeds NóirÃn O’Sullivan of Ireland, to whom the Secretary‑General is grateful for her contribution and dedication.
As deputy to the Under‑Secretary‑General for Safety and Security, the Assistant Secretary‑General will be responsible for day-to-day management, supporting the overall leadership and management of the Department.
Ms. Vuniwaqa has over 35 years of experience in law enforcement at the national and international level, and most recently held the position of Police Commissioner and Head of the United Nations Police component with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), where she was instrumental in promoting Gender Responsive Policing initiatives, resulting in the early achievement of uniformed gender parity targets set for 2028. She was previously the Assistant Commissioner of Police Administration in the Fiji Police Force, having started her policing career in 1986 and progressed through the ranks. She has held various operational and managerial positions since then, including in strategic planning, training, human resources and community policing.
Ms. Vuniwaqa holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of the South Pacific in Fiji.
Senior Management
Robert P. Delaney, Director of Safety and Security Services
Robert P. Delaney is the Director of Security and Safety Services for the United Nations. He is in charge of the United Nations uniformed services worldwide, providing primary safety and security services at the 11 major duty stations comprising a contingent of more than 1,300 security officers. He is responsible for the strategic management of safety and security operations at the Security and Safety Services/Sections locations, providing primary operational and technical support. He also oversees the coordination of worldwide activities related to events held outside UN premises sponsored by the United Nations Security Management System (UNSMS) organizations and provides strategic and technical advice for these special events. He coordinates the work of the Weapons Committee and leads the preparation and implementation of all matters related to firearms and use of force in the UNSMS. Prior to his employment at the United Nations, he previously served as a Brigadier General in the Canadian Armed Forces, where his responsibilities included commanding all Military Police personnel worldwide. He spent extensive years in the operational and strategic levels in all areas of security and safety and was responsible for all close personal protection operations for the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as a comprehensive physical security program for all Canadian Forces installations in Canada and around the globe. He had numerous operational deployments to include Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Mr. Delaney is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the Leadership in Counter-Terrorism (LinCT) program and the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Program in National and International Security. He holds Master’s degrees in Security and Risk Management and Defence Studies.
William "Bill" Blanchard, Director of the Division of Field Operations
Bill has more than three decades of distinguished service in foreign affairs, with a focus on security, operations, and counterterrorism, having recently served as Director of Strategic Advantage and Analysis with the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), and previously as the Director of Counterterrorism for the FCDO. Bill is extensively travelled with operational experience in hostile environments impacted by conflict and terrorism, including in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. Bill is highly experienced in crisis management, having led in the response to major terrorist incidents and threats. He is fluent in English and French and has working knowledge of Russian, Turkish, and Hungarian. He has a master's degree in economics from the London School of Economics, and a Master of Arts in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford. Bill is married to Meriel, a journalist, editor, and writer. They have two boys and a girl, all at university in Scotland.
Florence Poussin, Deputy Director, Division of Field Operations
Ms. Florence Poussin is the Deputy Director of the Division of Field Operations (DFO) in New York. DFO is comprised of divisions focusing on each of the major geographic areas (Europe & Americas, Asia Pacific, Africa, MENA). Previously, Ms. Poussin was the Officer-in-Charge of the Strategic Planning and Policy Service which is comprised of strategic communications, gender and inclusivity coordination, strategic planning and evaluation, security policies and their implementation and monitoring of compliance. Her first position in the UN was as a Policy/Security Officer in the Situation Centre at the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). She joined the Peacekeeping Operations Support Section of the Division of Regional Operations (DRO/POSS) as a desk officer for four years, covering many missions and transitioning countries from Sudan, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Chad. She joined the UN following 12 years of experience in the French diplomatic and security services in various positions. Ms. Poussin graduated from the Institute of Political Sciences ("Sciences-Po") in Bordeaux, France. Her husband is an independent journalist and entrepreneur; they have two children together.
Marc Jacquand, Chief, Strategic Planning Service
Mr. Marc Jacquand is the Officer-in-Charge of the Strategic Planning Service (SPS) of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS). Mr. Jacquand has spent 15 years in the UN, working in strategic planning and coordination at the Headquarters, most recently in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG). He has also worked with the Development Coordination Office (DCO) and in the field, with UN missions in Palestine, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia. He has also consulted for UN Relief and Works Agency, Department of Peace Operations, Department of Peace Operations, and Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Outside the UN, he has held fellow and research positions at the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation, the Center on International Cooperation (CIC), and the International Peace Institute (IPI). He is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, where he currently teaches a class on risk management in complex environments.
Zhengfan Sun, Executive Officer
Ms. Zhengfan Sun is the Executive Officer in UNDSS. She has served as Senior Finance and Budget Officer in the Executive Office in UNDSS from December 2014 to July 2024. In 2002, she passed the UN National Competitive Recruitment Examination in Finance. Subsequently, she worked in the Programme Planning and Budget Division/DM, Internal Audit Division/OIOS, Financial Resources Management Services/UNODC, Peacekeeping Financing Division/DM, and CTED.
Ms. Sun was born and raised in Beijing, China. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from the University of Bridgeport, CT, and an MBA in Financial Management from Pace University, New York..
Mohamed Ragaey, Chief of Service, Threat and Risk Assessment, New York
Mr. Mohamed Ragaey is an Egyptian national and holder of Licence in Law and Bachelor's degree in Police Science. Mr. Ragaey was appointed as the Chief of Threat and Risk Assessment Service in August 2015 after serving approximately 20 years in the field, most of which was with UNDSS and the Office of the United Nations Coordinator (UNSECOORD). He served in Lebanon as the Chief Security Advisor starting in 2012 as well as in Jordan in the same capacity from 2008. Mr. Ragaey established the first UNSECOORD offices and served as the first Security Advisor in Iran and Saudi Arabia from 2001 through 2007, respectively. He also served with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as the Senior Security Advisor and Liaison Officer in Former Yugoslavia from early 1999 through the end of 2001. Mr. Ragaey served with International Police Task Force in Bosnia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda from 1996 through 1999.
Jamison Medby, Director of the Division of Partnerships and Specialized Support
Jamie has over 30 years of experience in security risk management, infrastructure protection and strategy, including 19 years with UNDSS as a Regional Security Information Analyst, Policy Officer, Security Coordination Officer and Chief of the Physical Security Section. She now serves as Deputy Director of the Division of Partnerships and Specialized Support. Prior to joining the UN, Jamie was an analyst at the Rand Corporation where she worked on topics including intelligence methods, infrastructure protection, hostile surveillance detection and counterterrorism issues for such clients as the US Army and Marine Corps, the ODNI, New Scotland Yard, as well as several governments and private entities.
Martin Laffey, Chief of the Resilience and Emergencies Service
Martin Laffey, of Australia, is serving as the Chief of the Resilience and Emergencies Service for the United Nations Department of Safety and Security in New York at the D1 level. He leads the organization's work on security resilience and emergency response. Martin was previously the Chief Security Adviser in Palestine and deployed into Ukraine to lead the UN security response after the Russian invasion of 2022. He also deployed back to Palestine with the Emergency Response Team during the Gaza War in 2024. Martin served as a country security adviser with UNICEF in Libya, Afghanistan and Somalia, and in Jordan as a regional security adviser on mission. From 2004 to 2013, he held government and commercial roles in aviation and diplomatic security across the Gulf, the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa specialising in high-threat complex environments. He has operational service as a military officer in the Middle East and Central Asia. He holds undergraduate degrees in arts and science, and masters degrees in business administration and development.
Savita Hande, Principal Security Adviser, Iraq
Ms. Savita Hande of India has devoted more than 30 years to public service. She has served in the United Nations in many challenging countries at UNDSS field leadership positions. Currently, Ms. Hande is working as the Principal Security Adviser of the United Nations, Afghanistan since July 2018. She has worked in equally challenging locations such as South Sudan (2012-2015), Israel/occupied Palestine (2008 -2012) in addition to Indonesia, Sierra Leone, southern Africa. Ms. Hande has been one of the pioneering UNDSS female personnel working for the Department since 2002, contributing to the overall growth of the Department over two decades and at the same time handling many crises situations effectively in the difficult UN field locations. Ms. Hande has been an adviser to the field UN leadership during some of the most challenging times the United Nations have encountered in locations such as Afghanistan and South Sudan in the recent past. Enabling "UN Stay and Deliver" approach in a safe and secure manner and to engage with the country authorities in most complex security environment is what she credited for during these assignments. Prior to joining the UN System in 1990-2002, she worked as Indian Police Service Officer in Civil Services of India handling many responsible assignments at the senior leadership level.
Peter Marshall, Principal Security Adviser, Ukraine and Moldova
Peter Marshall is Principal Security Adviser, Ukraine and Moldova. He has had a long career as a senior leader within the United Nations Security Management System and has extensive experience in leading large and diverse teams, providing security for large facilities and operating in complex and challenging environments. He has served in several peace keeping/political missions, Iraq, Cambodia, Mozambique, South Africa and Liberia and has been a Chief of Security for some 25 years in Thailand, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and with ICTR, Arusha, Tanzania. Mr. Marshall has received extensive training by the Metropolitan Police as well as the former UNSCOORD as a hostage/crisis negotiator and is a qualified Investigator. He is the recipient of the DSS Bravery and UN Gender Champion awards. He is a national of Jamaica
Robert Marinovic, Principal Security Adviser, Afghanistan
Mr. Robert Marinovic has more than 13 years of experience in the United Nations. He is currently the Principal Security Adviser in Afghanistan. Mr. Robert held several command positions in the Croatian Ministry of Defence as Senior Military Officer (OF-5) before joining the UN in 2010 with UNDSS team in Somalia. He served with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations as a military observer and CMIO in the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, as UNDSS Field Security Coordination Officer in Somalia, as Security Adviser in Turkmenistan, as Deputy Security Adviser in Syria, and as Chief Security Adviser in Nigeria. He holds a master's degree in military science from Croatian Navy Academy. He is the recipient of the UNDSS Meritorious Services and three times for Excellence awards. He is a national of Croatia.
Emmanuel Monjimbo, Principal Security Adviser, South Sudan
Mr. Emmanuel Monjimbo is the Principal Security Adviser for South Sudan. He has over 35 years of senior management experience in security, including command experience with the Cameroon Police as a Police Superintendent. Since July 2004, he has served the United Nations in various capacities in seven countries, providing security leadership for the United Nations in complex security situations, including in Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, Nigeria, Somalia as Acting Principal Security Adviser, and Haiti as Chief Security Adviser.
Mr. Monjimbo holds a bachelor's degree in law from the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon, and an advanced university degree from the Senior Service Police Academy in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Mr. Emmanuel Monjimbo is a U.S. citizen.
Nathan Danquah, Principal Security Adviser, the Democratic Republic of Congo
Mr. Danquah has more than 24 years of security experience with the UN, following 16 years with the Ghanian Army during which he participated in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon (1988 & 1992), Rwanda (1993-1994), Sierra Leone (1998-1999) and Liberia (1990 & 1997-1998). Mr. Danquah has been serving as Chief Security Adviser, P5, with UNDSS in Syria since November 2020. Before that he worked as Chief Security Adviser in Sudan (2017-2020), Chad (2014-2017), Côte d'Ivoire (2012-2014), Burundi (2010-2012) and Nigeria (2007-2009). He joined UNDSS as Security Adviser in Cameroon in 2004 after working as a Team Leader/Investigator for 5 years at UNICTR from 1999. Mr. Danquah also went on surge missions to Banda Aceh, Indonesia (2005) and Mansehra, Pakistan (2006) after the tsunami and earthquake. He is fluent in English and French. Mr.
Danquah holds a master's degree in international policy and diplomacy from Staffordshire University, and a bachelor's degree in politics and international Relations from the University of London, United Kingdom.
Michael Center, Principal Security Adviser, Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory
Michael Center is the Principal Security Adviser for the United Nations in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory. As the UNDSS Country Office Director and member of the Senior Humanitarian Leaders Group he brings over 25 years of experience in employing foresight methodologies when assessing threat trends across geopolitical, economic, and cultural environments to formulate security risk management strategies in volatile conflict and humanitarian crisis environments.
Previous deployments with UNDSS include Chief of Security Information Operations Centre Yemen, Security Adviser/Head of Office Vietnam, Security Adviser/Head of Office Brussels (covering 11 Europeans countries), Chief of Security Policy and Planning for UNRWA in Amman, Chief Security Adviser/Head of Office Sudan. Prior to joining UNDSS Center held positions in the Department of Peace Keeping Operations in security, analysis, security sector reform and good governance, and earthquake disaster relief operations.
Michael holds an M.A in Diplomacy, specialized in International Conflict Management from Norwich University. He speaks English and French. Center is a national of the United State of America.