Hiroko Hirahara began her career with peacekeeping mission as an Environment and Natural Resources Advisor for the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) where she supported rebuilding of the country by assisting the Government in the area of forest resources management. She continued her work as Civil Affairs Officer in African Union and United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), worked extensively to help resolve and mitigate resources-based intercommunal conflict and support Darfurian’s participation in the civil society track of the Doha Peace Process. Thereafter, she served the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) as Deputy Chief of Civil Affairs. Her most current work has been with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) where she served as the Head of Field office in Torit and Bentiu until her appointed as the Director of Civil Affairs in 2023.
Prior to joining the Peacekeeping missions, Ms. Hirahara served UNEP in Geneva and UNICEF Headquarters in New York. She also worked several years for the United States Army as civilian environmental protection specialist in its overseas bases in Japan. Ms. Hirahara was born in Osaka, Japan and holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from J.F. Oberlin University in Tokyo, Japan and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, the United States.
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