Florence Foster

GPP Special Adviser

As Senior Project Manager at the Geneva Academy, Florence leverages her multidisciplinary expertise, strategic leadership skills, and deep commitment to fostering impactful change. Most relevant to her role as in the GPP's Advisory Council, she notably leads the work on ensuring the Academy’s conflict classification tool engaged investors to guide their investment decision in conflict-affected areas; but also continues to provide expertise on international law and the arms trade, including with respect to responsible business conduct in the arms trade.

She is an accomplished researcher and social justice advocate with a wealth of expertise in diplomacy, human rights, arms control, and corporate responsibility. With over a decade of international experience, she has held pivotal roles engaging with the United Nations system, through which she has driven initiatives that notably address the far-reaching impact of business on global security, in particular the arms sector.

Her field experience spans challenging contexts, including the Central African Republic and West Africa. There she engaged directly with affected communities, government actors, and international organizations to reduce violence and protect civilians, including through the development of innovative processes for community security in post-conflict regions. Before starting at the Geneva Academy, Florence led the Quaker United Nations Program on Peace & Disarmament in Geneva where her work consistently bridged policy and practice, by facilitating quiet diplomacy and expert discussions at the highest levels in and around the Arms Trade Treaty.

Throughout her career she contributed extensively to thought leadership in her field, with a portfolio of publications and presentations addressing these critical issues.