Dr. Susan Lynn Bissell, PhD
Associate Director
Chief, Child Protection, Programmes
UNICEF

A native of Canada, Susan first served UNICEF in 1987, in New York, in what was then called DIPA – the Division of Information and Public Affairs.  Thereafter she returned to the University of Toronto to complete a Masters degree in law, economics and international relations. Susan then returned to UNICEF, working in the Sri Lanka country office on education and CEDC - children in especially difficult circumstances issues. From there Susan moved to Bangladesh and maintained her CEDC and education focus positioning UNICEF particularly on child labour issues at a time when it was attracting considerable international attention.

In 1997, Susan resumed academic work this time for a doctorate degree in public health and medical anthropology at the WHO Key Center for Women’s Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne.  While completing her doctorate, Susan also worked with Trudie Styler and the Bangladeshi film team Catherine and Tareque Masud to produce the documentary "A Kind of Childhood."  The film screened widely at film festivals in North America, Europe and Asia and appeared on Canadian, American and British television.  In 2005 it had a second screening at the London Human Rights Watch Film Festival.
 
Susan came back to UNICEF in 2001 as the Chief of Child Protection in India. In 2004, she transferred to the Innocenti Research Center where she has managed the Implementing International Standards Unit. The many studies for which Susan has been responsible include a 62-country study on the implementation of the general measures of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and global research on the Palermo Protocol and child trafficking. As member of the Editorial Board of the report of the UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence Against Children which was released in 2006, Susan has also been involved in follow-up activities that will advance the implementation of the recommendations of the UN Study.

In 2009 Susan was appointed to her current position in New York, heading UNICEF’s Child Protection work. She oversees a team of professionals guiding efforts in children affected by armed conflict, child protection systems strengthening to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against children, and a range of other matters.  UNICEF is active in child protection in 170 countries, and the New York team offers leadership, strategic vision, and technical support.

Susan was recently awarded an honourary Professorship at Barnard College/Columbia University.