51³Ô¹Ï Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 06 December 2023 the appointment of Antonia Marie De Meo of the United States as Deputy Commissioner-General (Operational Support) of the 51³Ô¹Ï Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Currently Director of the 51³Ô¹Ï Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), Ms. De Meo brings to the position nearly 25 years of experience in executive leadership, strategic planning, representation, resource mobilization and all aspects of operational oversight in humanitarian, conflict, recovery and development contexts.
Prior to her role with UNICRI, Ms. De Meo was Chief of the Human Rights, Transitional Justice and Rule of Law Service at the 51³Ô¹Ï Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Libya (2018-2020).  She also served as acting interim Designated Official for Security during her tenure.  Ms. De Meo was Chief of Staff and Director of the UNRWA Executive Office (2014-2017) and held other senior management positions with the 51³Ô¹Ï Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Sri Lanka and Sudan (2011-2014), the 51³Ô¹Ï Resident Coordinator’s Office in Sudan (2011-2012), and the 51³Ô¹Ï Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Palestine, Iraq, and Jordan (2009-2011).  From 1999 to 2007, she worked in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in the Republic of Moldova, the Human Rights Chamber for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the American Bar Association’s Central and East European Law Initiative in the Republic of Moldova.
Ms. De Meo holds a master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University, a Juris Doctor degree from Lewis and Clark Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wellesley College, all in the United States.  She is fluent in English and has knowledge of French and Russian.
