Biography

With IOM since 1999, Laurence Hart, an Italian and British national, is the Director/Chief of Mission of IOM Pakistan. Previously, he was Director/Chief of Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic, Director of the IOM Coordination Office for the Mediterranean in Rome, where he was responsible for IOM activities in Italy and Malta, as well as Representative to the Holy See. Prior to that, he was IOM Special Envoy/Chief of Mission for Afghanistan and previously Head of the Migrant Assistance Division in IOM Headquarters in Geneva. He also served as Chief of Mission in Libya, Chief of Mission in Tunisia, and Technical Cooperation Officer in the Regional Office for Central America and Mexico, based in Costa Rica. Special assignments include the appointment as Acting Director of the Department of Migration Management in IOM Geneva HQs, and UN Acting Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya in 2011. Prior to joining IOM, Mr. Hart also served in several functions for OSCE in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Albania, as well as for the United Nations Transition Administration (UNTAES), where he supported preparation, training, monitoring and follow-up of Parliamentary and Local Elections. Mr. Hart holds a Master Degree in Political Science (University of Torino), as well as a European Master Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation.

Mr. Hart is fluent in English, French, Italian and Spanish, and he has lectured extensively on human trafficking and migrant protection and assistance. Moreover, Mr.Hart has authored and contributed to several academic research publications, including ‘Food and Humanitarian Crises: Science and policies for Prevention and Mitigation’, op-eds for the ‘Rapporto Annuale sull’Economia dell’Immigrazione’ (Fondazione Leone Moressa, Il Mulino), and also contributed to dedicated panels in international conferences or events organised by think-tanks (MED Dialogues, ISPI).