OUR STAFF

Paul Handley

UN Global Solutions Hub on Internal Displacement

Paul Handley assumed the role of Coordinator at the UN Global Solutions Hub on Internal Displacement in October 2025.

He brings over 26 years of leadership experience in the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. Most recently, he served as Head of Office for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ethiopia.

Since joining the United Nations in 2003, Paul has held senior leadership positions across both field operations and headquarters. His experience includes leading OCHA’s regional offices for the Syria crisis and the Middle East and North Africa, as well as heading country offices in Nepal, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. His work has focused on coordinating responses to crises driven by conflict, climate change, and natural disasters - mobilizing resources, building partnerships with governments and development actors, forging diplomatic consensus, and advancing evidence-based policy and solutions.

Earlier in his career, at OCHA headquarters in Geneva, he contributed to the rollout of the humanitarian programme cycle, led inter-agency preparedness efforts, and managed global surge deployments.

Paul began his international career with an international NGO in Sierra Leone in the late 1990s, and has also worked with UNDP and UNICEF in Central Asia. He holds an academic background in physics and climatology, and is originally from Manchester, United Kingdom. He is married with two children.

Yasmin Alem

IDSF

Yasmin Alem is Head of the Secretariat of the United Nations Internal Displacement Solutions Fund (IDSF), where she leads the Fund's strategic direction, partnerships, and operations to accelerate nationally led solutions to internal displacement. Under her leadership, the Fund has established itself as a catalytic financing mechanism, mobilizing billions of dollars in development investment by helping governments, the United Nations, international financial institutions, and development partners align around scalable, long-term solutions.

With more than 16 years of experience across international development, multilateral finance, and strategic partnerships, Yasmin has led complex initiatives spanning forced displacement, economic development, health equity, and institutional reform. Her expertise lies in translating policy into implementation, mobilizing capital, and building coalitions that deliver measurable development outcomes.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Yasmin was a Programme Manager at the International Monetary Fund, where she led capacity development programmes in fragile and conflict-affected states. Earlier, at the International Fund for Agricultural Development, she mobilized more than US$100 million in blended finance and private-sector investment for smallholder agriculture and rural development by structuring partnerships with investors, financial institutions, and corporate leaders.

Yasmin holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Geneva and is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Larissa Meier

Global Solutions Hub on Internal Displacement

Larissa Meier is a Senior External Relations Adviser with the Global Solutions Hub on Internal Displacement. Based in New York, she leads UN Member State engagement, policy advisory, and high-level events, advancing global dialogue and political support for nationally led solutions to internal displacement.

She drives the Hub’s advocacy and engagement strategy across key intergovernmental processes and platforms. She supports the Global Solutions Champions Group and its annual convenor, serves as focal point vis-à-vis the Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends on Solutions to Internal Displacement, and engages with Permanent Missions to strengthen political commitment to solutions.

With more than 15 years of experience across the United Nations, international development cooperation and public administration, Larissa’s expertise spans strategic policy, government engagement, programme management, organization development and stakeholder coordination. She has advised senior leadership and built partnerships across governments, UN entities and diplomatic missions.

Prior to joining the Hub, Larissa worked with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement, helping anchor solutions in intergovernmental processes and shift the global discourse towards a development and peacebuilding challenge.

She previously held several positions with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, including Chief of Staff for Regional Cooperation in the Middle East and Deputy Head of Cooperation in Ethiopia. She also served as Head of Staff at a Swiss NGO and supported the development of the City of Zurich’s social integration strategy.

Larissa holds a Master of Science in International Development and Management from Lund University in Sweden and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Law from the University of Zurich in Switzerland.

Bruno Hassig

Global Solutions Hub on Internal Displacement

Bruno Hässig joined the Global Solutions Hub on Internal Displacement in September 2026, bringing more than 10 years of experience in development finance, trade and development, and multilateral diplomacy.

Previously, he served as Senior Advisor at the African Development Bank (AfDB) Board of Directors in Abidjan, representing the constituency of Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Switzerland. His work focused on development effectiveness, fragility and crisis, environmental and social safeguards, evaluation, and internal governance. He also contributed to establishing and strengthening partnerships between the AfDB and national development agencies, as well as with Geneva-based non-governmental institutions, particularly across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

Earlier in his career, Bruno Hässig worked on economic and trade-related issues as a Senior Officer at the EFTA Secretariat, where he contributed to the negotiation and conclusion of free trade agreements with a focus on Southeast Asia and Latin America. He also served as First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the World Trade Organization (WTO), UNCTAD and ITC, working on agricultural and industrial policies as well as trade facilitation.

He holds master’s degrees in International Affairs and Governance from the University of St. Gallen and in Global Economy and Strategy from Yonsei University. Bruno Hässig is from Geneva, Switzerland.