Thomas W. Bifwoli is Chief Executive Officer of CCSI Africa. A senior customs and border management expert who has served the Kenya Revenue Authority, as coordinator of UN sanctions monitoring groups, and as chief of the World Customs Organization’s Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (WCO – RILO ESA), Mr. Bifwoli is a seasoned trainer and mentor to law enforcement and border control organizations. As an experienced practitioner, his teaching and training are based on practical and effective customs control and management practices. He has also consulted for the IMF and the WCO, led training and field operations in, among others, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, and Tanzania, on behalf of the international funding agencies of the African Development Bank, Canada, the UK and the US . Mr. Bifwoli holds a Master’s degree in public policy from the Strathmore Business School (Kenya) and a Bachelor’s in Education and Mathematics from Kenyatta University (Kenya). In his spare time, he practices the duathlon, having qualified to represent his country in the world multisport championships.

Ambassador Danielsson served as Head of Secretariat of the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Control for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies for ten years. He was elected unanimously to this post in June 2002 and re-elected in December 2005 and in December 2009. He resigned from that position in June 2012 after completing his last mandate.

He has occupied a number of functions in the Swedish Foreign Service. From 1992 to 1997 he was the first Swedish Ambassador to Croatia and he also de facto covered Bosnia and Hercegovina from 1992 to 1996. During this time his responsibilities included liaison with the UN operations in former Yugoslavia, refugees and humanitarian assistance. Before this, he served as Assistant Under-Secretary for Human Rights, Treaties and Public Law in the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. As Counsellor at the Swedish Mission to the UN in New York 1983 to 1987 he worked with matters relating to disarmament, arms control and international security. Before this he was responsible for outer space matters in the Swedish Foreign Ministry. His other postings include the Swedish Embassies in Ankara and London in the 1970s.

During the Swedish Presidency of the EU in 2001 he was appointed Ambassador in the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Special Negotiator on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) with the task of coordinating and representing the European Union at the United Nations Conference on SALW and in the negotiations on the United Nations Firearms Protocol. From 1998 to 2000 he was seconded to the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna to develop a strategy for capacity-building and training. Before being elected to the post as Head of the Wassenaar Arrangement Secretariat he worked in the European Commission on issues relating to conflict prevention and crisis management in Directorate General RELEX.

Ambassador Danielsson works as an independent consultant with governments, international organisations and industry promoting strategic trade controls and non- proliferation of sensitive products. In this capacity he has provided expert advice in the framework of relevant bilateral and regional programs of the US and the EU, in particular in South East Asia and the Caribbean, relating to the control of exports of arms and dual-use goods and technology.

Thayanjana Fernando is a senior information security and business continuity management professional who guides enterprises’ efforts as they mitigate digital security exposures in the areas of governance, risk, and compliance. She advises companies on building preventive and protective information and cyber security systems, for example by gaining ISO 27001 certification for information security, ISO 22301 for business continuity management and NIST for cyber security framework. She is a certified lead auditor and a lead implementer for the aforementioned ISO standards.

Ms. Fernando is based in Sri Lanka and serves the private sector in Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. In her managerial and senior advisory positions, she has also worked with some of the world’s top four accounting and security advisory firms. She has a postgraduate degree in cybersecurity and is conducting research on a vulnerability prioritization analysis tool as part of the MSc program in cybersecurity that she’s currently pursuing.

Genevieve Hoffman is a freelance designer and data visualization engineer working to build novel modes of communication and insights with data. Her interests and experience creating data-driven projects span art, visualization, data science, mapping and interactive documentary, for which she was Emmy nominated. She has worked with clients such as Twitter, Scientific American, POV for PBS, the Ford Foundation and The Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins. She teaches a course on data visualization at New York University and is a founding member of the USA for UNHCR’s Data Advisory Board, whose mission is to share data practices from industry to better serve the needs of refugees worldwide.

Mark Jansson is Director, Global Business Development, focusing on partnerships and growth. His experience spans nonprofit business development, strategic planning, and program management. He has also organized international conferences, co-authored studies for government and private sector stakeholders, and published articles on numerous issues related to peace and security. Most recently, Mark worked in Uber’s Global Planning and Strategy division where he supported the development of company security policy. Prior to that, he held senior positions with internationally-focused research and cacapacity-building rganizations, including CRDF Global, the Federation of American Scientists, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Mark received his MA in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University, a Master’s Certificate in World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution from George Mason University, and a BA in Criminal Justice from Roanoke College

Mr. Lutin serves as Chairman of The Shareholder Forum, which supports investor interests in the responsible corporate management of capital to produce goods and services. Prior to initiating the Forum programs in 1999, with the CFA Society of New York (then called the New York Society of Security Analysts), he had been the lead investor in acquisitions of companies with the management oversight of J. Keith Louden, a prominent business leader and advocate of responsible corporate management during the decades of global industrial development following World War II. Mr. Lutin founded what became the leading U.S. investment bank for growing industrial companies when he was 28 years old, after working at Manufacturers Hanover Trust, Weeden & Company, the Committee for Economic Development, and Salomon Bros. & Hutzler.

Nikos Passas is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University, Distinguished Lecturer in Financial Integrity at Case Western Reserve Law School, Distinguished Visiting Professor at Beijing Normal University, and Chair of the Academic Council of the Anti-Corruption Academy in India. He serves on the International Advisory Board of the Center for the Study of Democracy’s Regional Good Governance Public–Private Partnership Platform, Sofia, on the Advisory Board of the Global Risk Profile in Geneva, on the University of Birmingham Centre for Crime, Justice and Policing, and on the International Panel of Advisors of the Institute for Australia India Engagement, Brisbane. He served as Team Leader for a European Union Commission project on financial vigilance and effective implementation of sanctions against proliferation and WMD finance. For 14 years, he served as editor-in-chief of the international journal Crime, Law and Social Change and is associate editor for a number of journals. He has published more than 240 articles, book chapters, reports and books in 15 languages. His current work focuses on illicit trade in falsified medical products, corruption, trade-based financial crime and illicit flows.

Selected Publications

Loraine Rickard-Martin delivers the evolving CCSI curriculum to enhance international sanctions practices and implementation skills to diplomatic and government officials, through co-managing sanctions reform processes such as the High Level Review of UN Sanctions (2015) and the follow-on Assessment of the HLR (2017) and co-implementing the Best Practices Guide for Chairs and Members of UN Sanctions Committees (2018 and 2020). Prior to co-founding CCSI in 2011, she served the United Nations for over three decades, including 15 years as senior political affairs officer and sanctions committee secretary in the Security Council Affairs Division of the Department of Political Affairs, New York, advising sanctions committee chairs and members, supporting teams of sanctions monitors, and participating in reform processes to refine the sanctions tool. She was secretary of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change (2003-2004). She advised the African Union’s Peace and Security Council on sanctions issues with the drafting of an AU sanctions manual (2012). She lectured on United Nations sanctions at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and taught an intensive ten-week course for diplomats at Columbia University (2010-2013). She is the co-author with Enrico Carisch and Shawna Meister of “The Evolution of UN Sanctions: From a Tool of Warfare to a Tool of Peace, Security and Human Rights (2017), and has co-authored other articles and publications on international sanctions.

Selected Publications

Durra Sahtout joined CCSI as a digital strategy consultant and IT engineer with critical thinking, and multi-domain expertise. Durra is passionate about digital transformation, business processes digitization, emerging technologies, and the digital value chain. She is a native Arabic speaker and is fluent in French and English. She holds a BS in information Technology Engineering from Damascus University (Damascus, Syria) and Master’s Degrees in Consulting in Organisation, Strategy and Information Systems and in Innovation, Enterprise & Society from the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (Paris, France).

Dr. Schindler is the Senior Director of the Counter Extremism Project, co-chair of the Advisory Board of the Global Diplomatic Forum (GDF) in London and teaching fellow at the Academy for Security in the Economy (ASW Akademie AG) in Essen, Germany. Between 2013 and 2018 he served as the Coordinator and Expert of the ISIL (Da’esh)/ Al -Qaida/Taliban Sanctions Monitoring Team as mandated by the United Nations Security Council. From 2011 and 2013 he worked as Program Director of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) in London (UK) and as Associate Partner for Political Risk at West Sands, London (UK). Prior to these engagements, Mr. Schindler served as First Secretary for Political Affairs and Liaison Officer to the Security Forces at the Germany Embassy in Tehran (Iran) between 2005 and 2011 and held other positions with the Federal Government of Germany related to conflict analysis and counter-terrorism since 2001. He has extensive experience in crisis management and in advisory roles to senior government and corporations, specifically on enhancing security policies, practices and implementation strategies for the UN and the German government. Having studied in Tübingen (Germany), Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Tel Aviv (Israel) and St Andrews (UK), he holds a Master’s and a PhD Degree from St Andrews University focused on international terrorism.

Selected Publications

Cheryl H. Stoute, a national of Trinidad and Tobago, was a Staff Member of the United Nations for thirty-eight years, until she retired in 2006. In the last decade of her career, Ms. Stoute served as Chief of Office and Special Assistant of the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs and subsequently as Chief of the Disarmament and Decolonization Affairs Branch in the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management. During this period, Ms. Stoute was also assigned to the posts of Secretary of the United Nations Disarmament Commission, and from 2004 as Secretary of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security Committee) of the UN General Assembly.

During her career, Ms. Stoute has also served, inter alia, as: Secretary of several international conferences – in Berlin, Beijing, Bangkok, Geneva, Graz, Lima, Nairobi, Paris, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Stockholm, Vienna and Windhoek, as well as at UN Headquarters in New York – on Disarmament, Climate Change, Anti-Personnel Landmines, Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Gender Mainstreaming in UN Peacekeeping Operations and Decolonization. She was the Secretary and Coordinator of the United Nations/People’s Republic of China Joint Conference on “A Disarmament Agenda for the 21st Century,” held in Beijing in 2002.

Ms. Stoute has represented the United Nations at international meetings in Washington, D.C., The Hague, at the “Appeal for Peace” Conference (the largest international peace conference in history – organized by Civil Society); and the “Women’s Empowerment in the Context of Human Security” Workshop, held in Bangkok. She served in Namibia for a year as the Deputy Head of an Electoral Centre and Deputy Director of a Regional Centre, during that country’s independence process in 1989/1990.

Over the years, she has been elected and/or nominated to the United Nations Staff Council, the Appointment and Promotion Committee, the Central Examination Board, the Specialized Board (Political) on External Examinations and the Staff/Management Joint Appeals Board, where she served as a Chairperson. She was selected by the Under-Secretary-General to be the Department for Disarmament Affairs’ Focal Point on Gender Mainstreaming in the United Nations. She initiated and coordinated the UN’s first Gender Mainstreaming Action Plan, which sought to identify ways and opportunities to simultaneously work for disarmament and gender equality. She was also the Department’s Liaison for both the Gender and the Disarmament NGO communities, as well as for its interaction with Civil Society.

Ms. Stoute was the President of the Group on Equal Rights for Women at the United Nations for three terms, the limit. She served as Senior Adviser to subsequent Presidents and hosted, at the annual conferences on International Women’s Day, dignitaries such as US First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush, President Mary Robinson of Ireland and Ms. Bella Abzug, with whom she co-chaired one of the Conferences.

Following her retirement, Ms. Stoute returned to the United Nations and served for several years as Secretary of the Joint Appeals Board. She also served as a Member of the Board of Trustees and, subsequently, as Chairperson of the Board, of the Urban Resource Institute, a New York-based, multi-million dollar non-profit Organization dealing with battered women. She currently sits on several Boards in Trinidad and Tobago.

Ms. Stoute holds a BA and MA (Honors) in Economics.

As a practitioner, entrepreneur and researcher, Ashley Taylor is deeply immersed in the intersection of digital technologies and international security. Being a member of the first generation of blockchain entrepreneurs, Taylor was drawn early to the potential ramifications of encrypted communications and distributed ledger technologies on the integrity of commerce and social development. She co-founded a business to business credit protocol using blockchain, ReSource, where she currently leads compliance and business development

Currently she is compiling data and writing case studies on how cyberspace is weaponized, such as digital thefts of banks and cybercurrency exchanges, intrusions of computer networks to steal military-grade intellectual property, and hacks that modify technical and compliance databanks that normally prevent sanctions violations. She is simultaneously analyzing national regulations in regards to their application for UN sanctions implementation, and leading global trainings for private and public sector professionals in the prevention of cyber-attacks.

She received her B.A. at Duke University in Cultural Anthropology and Visual and Media Studies and has completed a bridge program in Computer Science at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering and one year of an M.S. in Data Analysis and Data Visualization at CUNY Graduate Center.

Formerly a Captain with 33 years’ service in the South African Navy, Neil specialized in surface warfare and weapons systems, serving nearly 20 years at sea onboard a frigate and fast attack missile boats. Neil has served as the Maritime Expert on the United Nations Security Council Panel of Experts (POE) for North Korea for five years until July 2018. He investigated sanctions evasion, illicit shipments and networks, tracking suspect vessels worldwide and boarded several North Korean vessels, starting with the Chong Chon Gang in 2013. Neil was also responsible for monitoring North Korea’s navy, which included the Sea Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) program. He co-authored seven reports for the UN Security Council and authored the Maritime Sanctions Handbook for the DPRK. Neil has also contributed to many maritime sanctions articles and news broadcasts concerning North Korea’s illicit activities.

Prior to joining the Panel, he served on the South African National Maritime Security Advisory Committee, the Priority Committee for Maritime Security, and as a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Counter-piracy Assessment Group. Until 2013, he was responsible for developing and executing the national counter piracy strategy.

Neil has conducted extensive sanctions training for the Maritime industry, State departments and related agencies, and Flag States, on sanctions, best practices and due diligence. He advises on Maritime Security – including sanctions compliance and implementation, WMD interdiction, counter-proliferation, vessel tracking systems and databases, vessel seizure, and counter-piracy.

Neil is a graduate of Stellenbosch University, the South African Executive National Security Program (First place and best academic paper) and the Joint Senior Command and Staff Course. He is currently concluding a Master’s Program in International Security and Global Justice. He is Senior Research Associate for Kings College London, United Kingdom – Project Alpha, and a member of the Institute for International Security Studies, and the Korea Society.

Enrico Carisch co-implemented on behalf of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden the development of the Best Practices Guide for Chairs and Members of UN Sanctions Committees (2020) that followed the High Level Review of UN sanctions, and the Assessment of Achievements, Challenges, and Opportunities resulting from the Recommendations of the HLR Compendium. He has co-developed UN system-wide sanctions training programs sponsored by Canada and other states and international organizations. He co-authored “The Evolution of UN Sanctions: From a Tool of Warfare to a Tool of Peace, Security and Human Rights.

Carisch served the United Nations Security Council as a financial and natural resources sanctions monitor prior to co-founding CCSI. He continues to lead and conduct research and capacity-building projects in conflict-affected regions, and frequently authors and co-authors implementation manuals for non-proliferation sanctions, sanctions implementation studies, books and articles. He currently leads sanctions implementation trainings for governments and industries around the world.

Selected Publications

Alba P. Delgado, from Honduras, has a Master’s Degree in Corporate Finance from the University of Valencia, Spain. Currently working with CCSI’s bookkeeping, budgeting, accounts payable and financial reports, Alba is interested not only in the business side of the company, but plans to also join CCSI’s thematic work on UN and international sanctions. She is particularly interested and engaged in fighting gender violence and protecting human rights.

Fereshteh Forough was born a refugee in Iran after her family fled Afghanistan because of the Soviet invasion. Despite the family’s circumstances, her parents instilled in her and her siblings the value of education from an early age. Her mother sewed clothing to sell in order to earn money to buy school supplies for the children. When she was a teen, the Taliban regime collapsed and she and her family moved back to Herat, Afghanistan. After returning to Herat, she earned her Bachelor’s in Computer Science. She later earned her Master’s from Technical University of Berlin in Germany. She returned to Herat University to join the Computer Science faculty, where she taught for almost three years. In 2015, she established Code to Inspire, the first computer coding school for girls in Afghanistan. Leading all aspects of operations and fundraising remotely, CTI educated more than 250 students so far in coding and graphic design classes. Ms. Forough remains focused on a vision of a future for her homeland where young women play a prominent role in the economy and future success.

Code <to> Inspire

Success stories from our graduates:

Parima Faqiri

iOS and Android Mobile App Developer ( Class 2018-2020 )

There was something I could never imagine – getting a job from my technical skills. Lack of opportunities for women in my city and Afghanistan is a big pushback for women to join the tech sector.

When I enrolled at CTI to become a mobile application developer, I was excited to be in a safe place where I can express myself without being criticized and always encouraged.

I was able to develop a mobile app for the Afghanistan Traffic department. Many people downloaded the app and provided insightful feedback and also encouraged me to make more apps.

After I grated from CTI, with their support I got introduced to a startup in the US to help them with their upcoming mobile project. It is my first paid job and I am so proud of myself to be on the path of financial independence and supporting my family.

CTI is my home and I am so grateful for their support.

A documentary video of Parima

Farahnaz Osmani

Graphic Design Department ( Class 2017-2019 )

Farahnaz Osmani is one of our top graduates from Graphic Design class. Her dedication, creativity and hard work inspired us to hire her as Code to Inspire graphic design mentor and set an example to the other students to be a role model.

Farahnaz says: “Since I was a child I had a deep interest in art and creativity.
When I just enrolled in the university, I learned about CTI and its graphic design class.
During my studies at CTI I found it as an ideal place for any female student who wants to grow without hesitation and fear.

CTI provided any resources in their capacity to improve our skills. When I asked for a digital pen to do a digital art project, without hesitation school management provided me one. I managed to deliver several paid outsourcing projects for the first time in my life for clients in the US, Europe and Afghanistan.

A video of Farahnaz teaching in class

Arezo Akrami

Web Designer (Class 2015-2017)

Arezo Akrami knew very little about computers when she learned about Code to Inspire. The daughter of merchants and one of five children living in Afghanistan, the high school student enrolled in CTI’s Web Development/Web Design class and fell in love with programming and CTI’s safe and welcoming environment. Two years later, she graduated from the CTI program and launched a freelance web development business. The early days were tough, but Arzo landed a project to create a website for a nonprofit organization in Herat. The organization loved her work and hired her as an employee to provide web development services.

“The first ever salary I received through my coding skills was an unforgettable feeling. I was jumping around and wanted to fly,” Arzo said. “I am so happy that I can make money by myself and I am so grateful to CTI for helping to make this happen.”

Website she developed:

Mahtab Saffron Company
RESCUE THE AFGHANISTAN PEOPLE ORGANIZATION (RAPO)

Links to articles:

Inverse
Document Journal
Coinbase

Dr. Holmes is a Marine Consultant and a maritime operations specialist with 40 years of experience in positions that include senior level Coast Guard Officer, Fortune 500 executive, and government senior manager. His consulting clients have included the Port of Long Beach, the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. In 2017 he was the Co-principal Investigator on a MacArthur Foundation Grant project regarding Bolstering Counter-Proliferation Efforts within the Global Supply System. Prior to his current position, he served as Deputy Executive Director for the Port of Los Angeles, where he was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations at the largest port in the United States.

Dr. Holmes retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2003 after serving as Captain of the Port of the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex. He was responsible for the security of the port from 2000 to 2003, and has been credited with the creation of a number of national initiatives regarding port and maritime security. During his Coast Guard career, he served as Deputy Chief of the Office of Congressional Affairs, a Country Team Member at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, and a Committee Chairman at the International Maritime Organization in London.

Dr. Holmes was a member of the Marine Board of the Transportation Research Board from 2008 until 2016. He was also a member of the National Academies Committee on Advanced Spectroscopic Portals (2010), and the Committee on Performance Metrics for the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (2013). He holds degrees in English and Education from Boston College, a Master’s Degree in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Doctorate in Policy, Planning and Development from the University of Southern California. His area of expertise is treaty compliance, with a particular emphasis on United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1373 and 1540.

Michael C. Lauber is a lawyer and former Attorney General of Switzerland. His extensive professional experience includes:

President of the Management Board of the Financial Market Authority Liechtenstein (2010-2012); Director of the Bankers Association Liechtenstein (2004 – 2010);
Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit Liechtenstein (2000 – 2004);
Director of a Self-Regulatory Body in the AML-field, independent lawyer (Zurich, 1999 – 2000); Head of the Central Office against Organized Crime (Swiss federal Police; 1995 – 1999); Officer in the Criminal Police of a Swiss Canton (Canton of Bern, 1993 – 1995);’
Investigative Judge in a Swiss Canton (Canton of Bern, 1992 – 1993);
Law Studies in Bern, Patent as a Lawyer (1985 – 1992).

He served as Attorney General of Switzerland from 2012-2020. He was the first Attorney General of Switzerland to be elected by the Swiss Parliament. As Attorney General, he not only led the authority into independent self- governance, but fundamentally strengthened the fight against economic crime (money laundering, corruption, market manipulation, and asset recovery). The assets blocked in connection with criminal proceedings at times increased to around CHF 7 billion.

He placed great emphasis on international cooperation and sought new solutions in corporate criminal law. In this context, the world-renowned case complexities of Petrobras/Odebrecht, 1MDB, Gunvor, Uzbekistan and Football, are particularly worth mentioning. Petrobras/Odebrecht, 1MDB, Uzbekistan and Football required close strategic and conceptual-tactical cooperation with the US, Singapore, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, France, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Sweden, South Africa, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, and many others. Based on these experiences, he initiated legal changes that are the basis for a “Swiss Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA)”.

He has been heavily involved in the field of Counterterrorism (CT). In this context, the possibility of exchanging information within the framework of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was applied for the first time in a terrorism case, both for Switzerland and the US.

He took on new challenges in cybercrime in close cooperation with the Swiss cantons and with the US and has consistently incorporated intercultural challenges, especially in criminal investigations of the “Arab Spring” with Egypt and Tunisia, into strategic case management.

As a member of the Executive Committee (ExCo) of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP), he was particularly committed to the independence and impartiality of prosecution, to adherence to the principles of the rule of law, and to dialogue with civil society.

Earlier in his career, he was instrumental in leading and shaping the first introduction and training in Operational Criminal Analysis implemented by the Swiss police in the mid-nineties.

He established and led a self-regulatory organization (SRO) as part of the implementation of the Swiss defense mechanism against money laundering. He served as an anti money- laundering (AML) evaluator for Russia, Cyprus, Oman, Luxembourg and Monaco. He served also in an expert capacity on serious economic crime as well as on organized crime and money laundering in various projects of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) in Central Asia. He has been a speaker at various national and international bodies and forums on money laundering.

He established the first Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) for the Liechtenstein government. This work was the main reason that Liechtenstein was removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) blacklist of non-cooperative countries and territories in the field of AML in the early 2000s. As head of the FIU, he was entrusted with the processing of old cases related to East/West trade in Germany after World War 2.

As Director of the Bankers Association, he played a decisive role in shaping the path of the Liechtenstein financial center towards tax transparency (zero-tolerance policy). In this context, he negotiated with the Subcommittee on Investigations of the US- Senate under Carl Levin and with the German authorities. Stuart E. Eizenstat has said in this context: “No country did it further and faster than Liechtenstein”.

As President of the Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority, elected by the Liechtenstein Parliament, he played a decisive role in shaping the legal implementation of the EU-Directive on Market Abuse. To combat market manipulation in connection with penny stocks, he maintained close cooperation, in particular with the specific US authorities (SEC).

Ms. Lyngdorf is Deputy to the Permanent Representative of Iceland to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. She was the Sanctions Coordinator on Sweden’s Security Council team in New York (2017-2018). She was in charge of Sweden‘s chairmanship of the Libya and Mali Sanctions Committees as well as Sweden‘s engagement in the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida and the Taliban Sanctions Committees, the technical sanctions aspects of the 1718 (DPRK) Committee and horizontal sanctions matters in all other sanctions committees. She assisted committee members and non-Council members in navigating the procedures of the committees, particularly in terms of listings, delistings, exemptions and exceptions to arms embargoes, export bans on natural resources, travel bans, asset freezes, etc. She was also involved in negotiating mandate renewals related to sanctions and counter-terrorism.

Ms. Lyngdorf previously served as Senior Advisor at the Permanent Mission of Sweden in Geneva, Human Rights Expert at the Permanent Mission of Iceland in Geneva and as Legal Advisor and Election Officer at the Permanent Mission of Sweden in New York during Sweden’s Security Council campaign. Prior to joining the Swedish Mission, she worked as a Legal Officer in the UN Office of Legal Affairs (Codification Division), as a research associate on the DOMAC project (Impact of International Courts on Domestic Criminal Procedures in Mass Atrocity Cases) and as a human rights specialist at the Icelandic Human Rights Centre.

Pilar is an International Weapons and Ammunition Research Expert with over twelve years of experience in this field. She has research, policy and field experience across several regions including West Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, the Caucasus and different parts of Asia, including China. Pilar has worked with governments, practitioners and numerous United Nations agencies and international organisations to address security risks posed by weapons and ammunition stockpiles.

Pilar recently led implementation of the African-China-Europe Project on Arms in Africa, successfully advocating for the return of conventional small arms and ammunition control to the agenda of FOCAC (Forum of China and Africa Cooperation) and its inclusion in the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 agenda.
Pilar previously served at the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) as Technical Advisor on small arms and light weapons for West Africa and the Sahel, and worked together with national governments and sub-regional organisations to garner political commitment and coordinated efforts to work on implementing Physical Security and Stockpiles Management best practices on the ground.

Prior to that, Pilar worked for the Small Arms Survey where she developed and helped guide a research project on Unplanned Explosions and Munitions Sites. She co-authored the “UEMS: Stockpiles as Liabilities rather Assets” handbook and the UEMS database created through the project continues to serve as an important resource for governments and international organisations. The UEMS indicator helped galvanise international efforts to implement the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) as well as efforts by the United Nations Office for Disarmament (UNOD) in creating a group of experts to create a comprehensive framework to prevent accidents at munition sites and munition diversions to unauthorized recipients.

Pilar has also worked as an independent consultant with governments and international organisations promoting conventional weapons and ammunition control management. As such, she has provided expert advice in the framework of relevant multilateral, bilateral and regional programs of the United Nations, as an Expert Member of the UN SaferGuard Strategic Coordination Group meeting which reviews the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines annually; and for the European Union, as a contributing member of the Arms Trade Treaty outreach project phase I and II.

A native of Colombia, Pilar’s upbringing was marked by witnessing the intensity of Colombia’s armed conflict of the 1990’s. In 1998, aged 17, she was successful in joining the Colombian Air Force as one of the first batch of women cadet officers and future pilot trainees. She went on to study Government and International Relations at the University of Externado, that she completed at Sciences Po, Bordeaux, France. Pilar has a Masters in Public Management (2010) and in Political Science (2013) from the University of Geneva, both with a focus on international security issues.

Pilar is a native Spanish speaker and is fluent in French and English. She also has knowledge of German and Italian.

Selected Publications

Martin Rioux-Lefebvre has over 12 years of experience developing and implementing projects for government clients and international organizations, leading business development efforts, and advising policymakers. In addition to managing CCSI’s programs and building strategic initiatives, he also serves as subject matter expert on sanctions compliance and nuclear safeguards and security.

Martin previously worked for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the Office of the Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Safeguards, and in the Division of Nuclear Security, where he managed the Incident and Trafficking Database program (ITDB) and worked on the development of the Nuclear Security Information Management System (NUSIMS). He also worked as a Consultant at the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and for firms in Canada and in the U.S.

Martin holds a Master of Arts from the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia (2009).

Warda Sahtout manages project progress and deadlines for CCSI’s operations, coordinates training inputs, oversees quality control in CCSI training products, and liaises on logistics arrangements.

She is working on developing practical strategies and enhancing human rights protection as part of her interest in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

She has first-hand experience of the long-term effects of war and displacement and six years’ work experience in the humanitarian field in Syria during the war. Her expertise includes working in livelihood programs, psycho-social support for children, and empowering women and youth entrepreneurs. She also interned with UNICEF in New York, researching UNICEF’s work on strengthening social cohesion in the Middle East and North Africa Region.

Warda believes in the importance of volunteering, giving back to the community, and social responsibility; thus, she volunteered in Syria with various NGOs\INGOs for more than seven years and volunteered with the UN Alliance of Civilizations during the 8th UNAOC Global Forum as an event organizer.

She holds a master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University/ School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), specializing in Economic and Political Development with a minor in International Conflict Resolution.

She was awarded a Chevening scholarship, “100 Syrian Women, 10000 Syrian Lives” scholarship from Jusoor Organization, and a scholarship from Columbia University. She also received the Women International Leadership Award from International House (I-House) in NYC.

Francisca Simiyu is based in the Port of Mombasa and leads a team of Kenyan maritime border security detection specialists charged with deterring the illegal transportation of CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) materials.  She recently joined a team of East African Community partner states as an instructor for Chemical Warfare Agents and Toxic Industrial Agents.

She works with the Kenya Nuclear and Regulatory Authority in performing radiological investigation, identification, and guidance concerning isotopes on flagged consignments and is a seasoned trainer and mentor on CBRN border security checks and compliance based on practical maritime border detection and deterrence.

She also collaborates with other local agencies responsible for border checks for chemical and biological shipments. In doing so, she provides the port community with biological materials sensitization  related to health and safety, communicates with health agencies about events and situations of potentially harmful conditions, observes safety rules and procedures during sample collection of shipments, and in cases of accidents, keeps the scene of the accident under control to minimize potential threats

As part of her role to strengthen the Kenya Megaports Initiative, Ms. Simiyu enjoys close working relationships with the US Department of Energy, its National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and its Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD). The initiative aims to strengthen foreign countries’ capabilities to deter, detect, and interdict the illicit smuggling of nuclear and radioactive materials across international borders.

She is a graduate of the Technical University of Mombasa (Kenya) and has taken Radiological Detection and Monitoring Training of Trainers (TOT) at the  Nuclear Joint Research Center Karlsruhe (Germany) and has undergone training on bio-safety/ biosecurity by the Public Health Agency (Canada).

Maiko Takeuchi has 20 years of experience in national security. She specialized in WMD non-proliferation and security export control. She served the United Nations Security Council as a member of the Panel of Experts (UNSCR 1874 Panel of Experts) for North Korea for five years (2016-2021). While on the Panel, she investigated North Korea’s nuclear and other WMD programs and related procurements, and violations of embargos, overseas workers, and activities of UN- designated entities.

Before joining the United Nations, she served the Ministry of Defense for 15 years as a defense policy official. She worked on cyber security strategy and communication systems in the Ministry of Defense, and from 2008 to 2010, she worked on strategic trade control as the chief of the research and planning office at the Ministry of the Economy, Trade and Industry. During her career in government, she was also appointed to the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Korea as First Secretary and Civilian Defense Attaché for four years. She was appointed to the Cabinet Secretariat for National Security and Crisis Management, where she worked for inter-agency policy coordination.

As a diplomat and strategic trade control officer as well as WMD expert, she has on the ground experience and legal expertise in non-proliferation and strategic trade control. She has had the opportunity to present on outreach and capacity building activities for both government practitioners, industries, and financial institutions.

She is a visiting scholar at the Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Research, Waseda University. She holds a Master’s degree in Regional Studies East Asia from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Law from the University of Tokyo. While contributing to the media to raise awareness on economic sanctions, she has written a number of articles on the effective implementation of sanctions.

Selected Publications

Alfredo Villavicencio is a Peruvian economist passionate about the UN, its structure, initiatives, and dynamics. With a professional background in environmental regulation and international development cooperation, he has an MIA from Columbia University’s SIPA with an Economic and Political Development concentration, and UN specialization. Through his work in CCSI, he is aligning his specialization with practical research on compliance with UN sanctions around the globe. He is looking forward to working in the UN, particularly, on the development program and/or post-conflict initiatives, where he considers that the UN plays a fundamental role.

Won Jang is a researcher on UN sanctions, politics in the Korean peninsula and the Middle East. Growing up in a post-2001 world where both the Korean peninsula and the Middle East were changing rapidly, he developed a keen interest in both regions. As a South Korean living in South Korea, Won decided to study political science in college to further his insight into the events that were shaping Korean society and beyond. During his studies, he had numerous exchanges with North Korean defectors as well as experts on North Korea, which contributed significantly to his understanding of North Korea. After college, he decided to live and work in Egypt to pursue his interest in the Middle East, where he stayed for more than four years. He has also worked on projects in Lebanon and Jordan. At CCSI, Won is interested in how sanctions work in relation to North Korea and Middle Eastern countries, and also the relationship between sanctions and humanitarian policy and women’s rights. He holds a Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia SIPA.