Coordinator for Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism Files at UNODC Office for the GCC Region
Since 2019, Ms. Sohaila Hussein has been actively engaged at the UNODC Office for the GCC Region in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In her capacity, she delves into legal and policy research, meticulously analyzing laws, policies, strategies, and judicial precedents pertaining to transnational organized crime across the GCC countries. Her responsibilities extend to crafting training modules and knowledge materials aimed at combating transnational organized crime, human trafficking/smuggling of migrants, and terrorism prevention, fostering robust knowledge exchange platforms.
She lends her expertise in providing technical assistance for formulating and executing the Office's initiatives aimed at combating transnational organized crime, human trafficking/smuggling of migrants, and terrorism prevention. Ms. Sohaila Hussein actively contributes to the review of national policies and legal frameworks, advocating for the establishment of national referral mechanisms for trafficking victims in the GCC countries, aligned with international standards and best practices. Additionally, she collaborates closely with national contact points to bolster their capacities in data reporting mechanisms and information management tools concerning drugs and crime.
Ms. Sohaila Hussein brings a wealth of practical experience garnered from her tenure at various international organizations, including the UNODC headquarters and its field offices, as well as the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) since 2014. Prior to her current role, Ms. Sohaila Hussein served as a Crime Prevention Consultant at the UNODC Office for the GCC Region, where she provided support and training to national contact points for SHERLOC in the GCC countries. Her focus was on analyzing and uploading relevant legislation, strategies, and judicial precedents to SHERLOC, augmenting the Arabic resources, and showcasing the GCC countries' strides in implementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
Between 2016 and 2018, she held the position of Monitoring and Reporting Consultant at the UNODC Regional Office in East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. There, she contributed to the comprehensive implementation of activities under the regional program titled "Promoting the Rule of Law and Human Security in Eastern Africa, 2016-2021”, thereby enhancing the program's progress and key outcomes.
Following the completion of her graduate studies, Ms. Sohaila Hussein interned at both the Strategic Planning Directorate at INTERPOL in Lyon and the Terrorism Prevention Branch at UNODC in Vienna. Her responsibilities encompassed legal research on various topics related to organized crime and terrorism, including issues such as the freezing of terrorist assets in East African countries in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) and Yemeni anti-terrorism legislation. Additionally, she contributed to organizing capacity-building workshops in Yemen and authored various written outputs for both organizations, such as INTERPOL's strategic framework, briefing papers on emerging security threats, and regular assessment reports.
Ms. Sohaila Hussein holds dual Master's degrees in International Management and International Business and Corporate Law from Sorbonne University in France. She also possesses a dual Bachelor's degree in Law from Cairo University in Egypt and Sorbonne University. Sohaila is an Egyptian national proficient in Arabic, English, and French.