Email: alexandra.bilak@idmc.ch
Alexandra Bilak has almost 20 years’ experience in the international non-profit sector, with a focus on research and policy development on displacement in the context of armed conflict, violence, disasters and climate change. After a decade working in Africa, she joined the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva as Head of Policy and Research in 2014, becoming its Director in August 2016.
As Director, Alexandra is responsible for the strategy, positioning and resource mobilisation of the organisation, and for growing its reach and influence. Her role includes establishing strategic partnerships with governments, UN agencies, regional organisations and other relevant stakeholders. She created in 2016 and now directs the publication of IDMC’s annual flagship report the Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID), and leads the IDMC team to provide high-quality data, analysis and expertise to a growing number of partners worldwide. Since becoming Director, Alexandra has focused on supporting and promoting the sharing of best practice among countries affected by internal displacement, and on ensuring that internal displacement is addressed as part of global, regional and national policy frameworks spanning prevention and risk reduction, humanitarian action, early recovery and sustainable development.
Prior to joining IDMC, Alexandra served as Country Director and Programme Manager for international NGOs and research institutes in sub-Saharan Africa, including Oxfam, the Life & Peace Institute, the International Rescue Committee and the Danish Refugee Council. She lived and worked in Rwanda in 2001, the Democratic Republic of Congo from 2004 to 2008, and in Kenya from 2009 to 2014. She has published extensively on the themes of forced displacement, conflict and civil society development.
Alexandra holds a Master's degree in International Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and a DEA (Diplôme d’Études Approfondies) in African Studies and Political Science from the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. She is bilingual French-English.
Email: youssef.jai@idmc.ch
Youssef is responsible for IDMC’s political engagement and management of diplomatic relationships with permanent missions, governments, UN and other key stakeholders. He is also responsible for communication between the Director’s Office and other teams at IDMC as well as with all external partners, and managing and coordinating the Director’s office agenda and external engagements.
Prior to joining IDMC, he worked for ten years with the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), including its Central Africa, Iraq, Middle East and Horn of Africa Teams, in New York as well as with the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) in Gabon. He also served with UNHCR in donor relations in Geneva in 2018-2019.
Youssef holds a Master of Business Administration from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He speaks English, French, Arabic and Spanish.
Email: alice.baillat@idmc.ch
As the Policy Coordinator at IDMC, Alice strategically monitors and represents IDMC in key regional and global policy processes related to internal displacement, human mobility, and related issues including climate change, development, human rights and peacebuilding. She also contributes to IDMC’s political engagement with relevant UN agencies, civil society organizations and Permanent missions in Geneva.
Alice has more than 10 years’ experience in research and policy work related to the impacts of climate change and disasters on human mobility. Prior to joining IDMC, Alice worked at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva, as a Thematic Specialist on Migration, Environment and Climate Change. She was also a Research Fellow on Climate, Energy and Security at the French Institute of International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) in Paris, France between 2017 and 2019.
Alice holds a PhD in Political Science and International Relations from Sciences Po Paris. She speaks French and English.
Email: thami.eddafali@idmc.ch
Thami joined IDMC in September 2018 on a three-year commercial apprenticeship, during which time he will combine business studies with three days a week working at IDMC. He provides administrative and financial support to all IDMC departments.
Thami is from Geneva but grew up in Marrakech, Morocco. He is bi-lingual French-English.