The story we want to share today starts with a young woman from Lucerne. In a bold move for her time, she left Switzerland in 1946\u00a0at 23 to work at the Swiss Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, where she settled and founded her family. Two generations later, life brought her granddaughter, Sabina Stein, back to Switzerland.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am Swiss via my grandmother, whose name was Heidi\u2014very Swiss!\u201d Sabina says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This family connection is what brought her back to Switzerland at age six, shaping a path that would lead from Geneva, where she grew up, to ETH Zurich,\u00a0where she studied political science,\u00a0and onto the front lines of the world\u2019s most complex peace and security challenges.<\/p>\n
This personal history is the foundation of Sabina\u2019s career as a peace-building and governance\u00a0expert\u2014a career inspired by the rich ecosystem of International Geneva and consistently powered by Switzerland\u2019s commitment to global cooperation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGrowing up in Geneva shaped my career aspirations. I was exposed to Switzerland\u2019s historic role in peace mediation as a trusted neutral third party. As the country lacks colonial history, it holds a favorable position to mediate in\u00a0many\u00a0conflicts around the world and has hosted many peace processes. What makes a great difference is how Switzerland creates safe spaces for dialogue and tries to find deeper resolution to\u00a0armed\u00a0conflicts\u00a0by\u00a0addressing their\u00a0root causes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She began her professional\u00a0journey at the Centre for Security Studies, a think tank affiliated with ETH Zurich focusing on Swiss\u00a0peace mediation processes, in close collaboration with the Swiss\u00a0Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. She then joined the United Nations as a Swiss UN Youth Volunteer \u00a0with UNDP Colombia and\u00a0later , as a Swiss Junior Professional Officer at the Policy and Mediation Division in the Department of Peace-building and Political Affairs at the UN Headquarters in New York. Later, she served with the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and was subsequently\u00a0deployed via the Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peace-building to UNDP in Syria.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Switzerland’s commitment to peace and security is not just a policy\u2014it’s a lifeline. I’ve seen it transform lives on the ground. From my start as a Swiss UN Youth Volunteer in Colombia to my work in Syria, Switzerland\u2019s support to UN peace-building efforts protects lives, restores dignity, and\u00a0empowers\u00a0communities and leaders to forge a path out of conflict.\u00a0This strategic investment is what enables tangible recovery and lasting change for those who need it most.”<\/p>\n
Sabina is nowadays based in Vietnam,\u00a0focused on supporting the country\u2019s ambitious aspirations for growth and sustainable development. She\u00a0is Assistant Resident Representative for Governance and\u00a0Participation\u00a0at\u00a0UNDP Viet Nam. \u201cMy job here\u00a0is about good governance, about\u00a0access to justice and\u00a0the rule of law, and about more inclusive and participatory decision making.\u00a0I am building on UNDP\u2019s nearly 50-year legacy in Viet Nam, which helped the country rise from the ruins of war to become one of the world\u2019s fastest-growing economies.<\/p>\n
Investment for a safer and prosperous world benefit all<\/p>\n
Sabina\u2019s career illustrates the multifaceted benefits of the\u00a0Switzerland-UNDP partnership and how weaving Swiss principles of peace and human rights\u00a0into the fabric of global governance reinforces the country’s role as a trusted and influential\u00a0partner in building a more stable world.<\/p>\n
“Switzerland has a renowned expertise in mediation and peace-building\u00a0and it makes a difference to the world’s most pressing conflicts. Swiss tradition of humanitarianism and neutrality gives Switzerland a unique credibility. By addressing root causes of instability and fostering recovery in places like Syria and Colombia, Switzerland helps preserve\u00a0a more predictable and secure international system at a time when it is under significant strain. Such predictability and stability\u00a0benefits a globally connected nation like Switzerland as well.”<\/p>\n
She feels proud of the tangible results she has delivered as a result of the Swiss-UNDP partnership.\u00a0<\/p>\n