Sylvia Thompson

Thematic expertise: process design, gender and inclusion, security sector reform, ceasefire agreements

Geographic expertise: Middle East and Africa

Languages: English, Norwegian, Spanish and basic Arabic

Sylvia Thompson is a mediator and facilitator that has led peace and ceasefire initiatives across the world’s most complex conflicts. She currently directs CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation’s mediation initiative in Sudan, designing and facilitating political dialogue to bridge divides in support of an inclusive Sudanese-led peace process.

She has previously served with several United Nations entities, including the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in New York, the United Nations Support Mission to Libya (UNSMIL), UN Women Jordan, and the UN Resident Coordinators Office in Yemen leading up to the National Dialogue Conference. Sylvia also contributed to the UN’s response during the military offensive in Mosul, Northern Iraq, and served as Deputy Patrol Leader for the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Eastern Ukraine, leading frontline patrols to monitor ceasefire violations, facilitate dialogue between military commanders and negotiate humanitarian access. Throughout her career, she has advanced the Women, Peace and Security agenda by promoting women’s meaningful participation and leadership in peace processes.  

She is an inaugural Peace Fellow at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs, a member of the Nordic Women Mediator’s Network, and holds a M.Phil in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Oslo.