Maisaa Youssef joined in 2017 the ESCWA team working on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on the follow-up and review mechanism as well as advocacy for a cultural shift in development planning and implementation in the Arab region.
Maisaa was the lead author on the Arab Sustainable Development Report 2020 and also worked on expanding the network of stakeholders engaged in the 2030 Agenda, including parliamentarians and Audit Institutes.
Her previous UN assignments addressed social exclusion in multiple Arab countries and strategic planning, partnerships and regional coordination mechanisms. She supports ESCWA’s regional and global engagement with different political processes related to the 2030 Agenda.
Maisaa has an interdisciplinary PhD in English and Film Studies with a focus on political thought and human rights. Her academic work and publications shed light on biopolitics, dehumanization and states of exception.
