Andrew MacLeod

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Andrew MacLeod, United Nations Disaster Coordination Specialist

Andrew Michael MacLeod (born 29 November 1966) is an emergency management specialist, who most notably served as the Chief of Operations for the United Nations Emergency Coordination Centre in response to the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

1 Early years
2 Career
3 Awards
4 Sources
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Early years

MacLeod after the medal presentation at the World Masters Games.

MacLeod was born in Melbourne, Australia. He was educated at St Michael's Grammar School and before that at Melbourne Grammar School in Melbourne. He was an active sportsman having won the Silver Medal for the 200m Butterfly at the World Masters Games and spent many years as a volunteer Surf Lifesaver at Point Lonsdale in Victoria.

He obtained Bachelor of Law and Arts degrees from the University of Tasmania, a Masters of International Law at Southampton University, is part of Melbourne University's Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law and is a Visiting Fellow at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.

Andrew MacLeod was also commissioned as an officer with the Australian Army and served attachments with the British Army's Royal Green Jackets.

[edit] Career

MacLeod (right) with former U.S. President Bill Clinton in East Timor.

MacLeod with a survivor of the Pakistan earthquake.

After graduation MacLeod was admitted to practice law in the Supreme Court of Victoria, Supreme Court of New South Wales the High Court of Australia, and in England and Wales. After working on a number of high profile cases Andrew was recruited by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)and was given responsibility for negotiating security and access guarantees in Rwanda in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and the former Yugoslavia during that country's breakup during the Yugoslav wars. He negotiated and implemented Law of Armed Conflict training programs within the military factions of those conflicts.

Under the auspices of the International Commission of Jurists he monitored the 1999 independence referendum in East Timor, evacuated several pro-independance leaders in the violent aftermath, the 2001 parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka and conducted a scrutineer school for local party officials in the lead up to the 2002 Presidential election in East Timor.

MacLeod was also a preselected candidate for the Australian labor Party for the 2001 National Election, and prior to returning to the international world worked as a senior political adviser to the Victorian Deputy Premier.

Moving to the United Nations Andrew reviewed and updated the United Nations Early Warning and Emergency Preparedness procedures through the Inter Agency Standing Committee.

Following the Pakistan earthquake, now recognised as the most difficult natural disaster response so far conducted by the United Nations,^[1] MacLeod helped to coordinate the delivery of aid and relief. He used an experimental model of coordination for the earthquake response known as "Cluster Approach", based on a series of recommendations made during a full review of humanitarian operation conducted through 2005. Whilst it was a new and untried method, the "Cluster Approach" is now used as a model for global disaster management.[2]

[edit] Awards

Andrew was awarded the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal for his actions in the Balkans, the Silver Medal for Humanity in Montenegro and was recognised by the Australian Government for his service in East Timor.

Andrew is also a life member of Antarctic Circle Expeditioners and the Society of Antarctic Divers.