Pauliina Törmä

Thematic expertise: mediation strategy and process design, multi-track and multi-stakeholder processes, women’s inclusion in peace processes.

Regional/country-specific expertise: Afghanistan, Middle East, Eastern and Central Africa

Languages: Finnish, English, basic French and Spanish

Pauliina Törmä works in the United Nations Mediation Support Unit, providing technical support to peace and dialogue processes in the Middle East and Afghanistan and leading the Unit’s thematic work on the implications of climate change on mediation and peace processes. Her work includes supporting various UN offices on strategic planning and process design, including with the aim of advancing inclusive peace processes. She has previously worked as a member of UN teams on peace processes in Afghanistan, including supporting the Afghanistan Peace Negotiations in 2020-2021 and various local peace initiatives in country; Sudan and South Sudan, in support of bilateral relations and conflict resolution in the two countries; as well as during her earlier tenure in the UN Mediation Support Unit on technical mediation support to peace processes in Eastern and Southern Africa, among others in Somalia, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Prior to joining the UN in 2015, she worked on security issues and cross-governmental coordination in the Office of the Prime Minister in Finland. In 2009-2012, she worked for NATO in the Headquarters in Brussels and in the Office of the NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan, focusing specifically on cross-cutting issues of security, development, economy and governance, including in the context of security transition.