Political Strategist, Mediator, & Coalition Builder

Hiba Qasas is a Political Strategist, Mediator, and Coalition Builder serving as the Founding Executive Director of the Geneva based Principles for Peace Foundation, a Swiss global think- and do-tank advancing a new approach to peacemaking.

Swiss Palestinian and originally from the West Bank, she is known for her ability to convene unlikely actors, bridge formal and informal political space, and translate high level intent into practical pathways for action.

She convenes Uniting for a Shared Future, a coalition of more than 550 Israeli and Palestinian leaders working in support of a political solution, and leads discreet Track 1.5 dialogue on the broader Middle East when official channels are absent.

Over more than 22 years, including 18 in the United Nations system, she has worked across conflict affected contexts and senior international policy spaces to build coalitions, shape political strategy, and advance more legitimate and effective approaches to peace.

Her leadership roles have included serving as Country Representative in Iraq and as Head of the Middle East and North Africa Section at UN Women, alongside earlier work at the United Nations Development Programme on resilience, peace, and security.

She serves on the boards of the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform and Fondation La Tour en Commune and is a visiting fellow at the University of Sydney and the European School for Advanced Development Studies.