BIOGRAPHY
Massimo Tommasoli is the Director of Global Programmes and Permanent Observer for International IDEA to the United Nations.
Tommasoli is a policy specialist with extensive experience in democracy building, democratic governance, social development, evaluation and aid effectiveness. His main fields of expertise include: UN and democracy assistance; participatory development; social analysis in aid agencies; management training; conflict prevention and peacebuilding; gender equality.
He is responsible for developing, enhancing and strengthening strategic partnerships, policy advocacy and outreach of International IDEA at the UN General Assembly and in other multilateral policy fora, as well as with democracy building institutions based in North America (USA and Canada).
He has been International IDEA’s Director of Operation in Stockholm. He previously worked as Head of the Good Governance and Conflict Prevention Unit in the Development Cooperation Directorate at the OECD in Paris. He held positions at the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, and at UNESCO in Addis Ababa.
Visiting scholar at the LUISS University in Rome, he lectured at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at the City College of New York, the UN System Staff College in Turin, and various Italian Universities (Bergamo, Chieti, Milan, Pisa). He has field experience in sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania), Latin America (Colombia) and the Russian Federation.
Author of seven books and several essays and articles on participatory development, aid evaluation and conflict and resettlement policies. His publications include: Democracy and the Pillars of UN Work (Stockholm & New York 2014); Nel nome dello sviluppo (Rome 2013); Politiche di cooperazione internazionale (Rome 2013); Sviluppo partecipativo (Rome 2001; Spanish edition, Madrid 2003; French edition, Paris 2004).