Dr Marcel A Boisard

Dr Marcel A Boisard was born in Geneva in 1939. He studied at the University of Geneva and followed postgraduate courses in Hamburg and Cairo, and at the Institute of World Affairs, USA. He received his Ph.D. from the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, Switzerland.

He was a programme officer in the Technical Cooperation Directorate of the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs and served later as the economic adviser of the government of Burundi. In 1996, he was the president of the Experts of African countries associated to the European Economic Commission, based in Brussels.

For some twelve years, he was Delegate and Chief of Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), principally in the Arab world. In 1980, he joined the United Nations as special fellow of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). He became director of UNITAR European Office in 1983 and was appointed Executive Director in 1992.

Dr Boisard is the author of over 40 books and articles dealing with international cross-cultural relations, Arab and muslim world, multilateral negotiation and intergovernmental organizations.