Sylvia Thompson

Thematic expertise: process design, gender and inclusion, security sector reform, ceasefire agreements

Geographic expertise: Middle East and Africa

Languages: English, Norwegian, Spanish and basic Arabic

Sylvia Thompson is leading a mediation and dialogue initiative in Sudan for CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation. Sylvia has previously worked in various capacities with the UN on issues related to peacebuilding, security sector reform, and mediation, including with the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in New York, the United Nations Support Mission to Libya (UNSMIL), and UN Women, Jordan. She assisted the UN Resident Coordinators Office in Yemen leading up to the National Dialogue Conference, and the UN’s response to the military offensive in Mosul, Northern Iraq. Sylvia also served as Deputy Patrol Leader for the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Eastern Ukraine, where she led daily patrols to the frontline to monitor and report on ceasefire violations, facilitate dialogue between military commanders, and negotiate humanitarian access. She is a member of the Nordic Women Mediator’s Network, holds a M.Phil in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Oslo, and speaks Norwegian, English, Spanish, and basic Arabic.