Omar Aboud has over 20 years of international political experience with different entities, both national and international. For many years, Omar worked both at UNHQ (New York) and in various UN agencies, political offices, and field missions. His regional experiences extend over the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf region, East and Central Africa, Europe, and Afghanistan. He worked on various issues including political and civil affairs, negotiation and mediation, liaison and coordination, humanitarian and relief, DDR and SSR, elections, and security. He served as Head of Offices or Political Team Leader in Bosnia, on the Syrian-Iraqi border, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and most recently in the DRC. On a number of occasions, Omar supported mediation efforts and worked with UN Special Envoys, including in Sudan, Burundi, Lebanon and Yemen. From 2015-2016, Omar led the Mediation Unit during the Yemen peace talks in Switzerland and Kuwait. Also in Kuwait, Omar chaired the Military and Security Sub-committee and supported the work of the De-escalation and Coordination Committee (DCC) that monitored the Yemen ceasefire. Omar also served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 10 years as a commissioned officer, which included various specialized trainings and leadership courses, as well as multiple assignments and overseas deployments in the US, UK, and the Former Yugoslavia.
Omar obtained a Bachelor’s degree from Canada and a Master’s degree from the UK in Governments and Politics of the Middle East with an emphasis on Islamic Law. Omar is fluent in Arabic, English, and French.