Former Director
United Nations for Disarmament Affairs

Anja Kaspersen is the former director of the United Nations for Disarmament Affairs in Geneva and deputy secretary general of the Conference on Disarmament. Previously, she held the role as the head of strategic engagement and new technologies at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Prior to joining the ICRC she served as a senior director for geopolitics and international security and a member of the executive committee at the World Economic Forum. Kaspersen is a Norwegian diplomat, former businessperson and academic. A published author and public speaker, she is a strong believer in multilateralism and in the power of science and technology diplomacy to ensure responsible innovation and the ethical development and uses of intelligent systems. She is an alumni International Gender Champion, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics and International Affairs, a member of the IEEE Council on Extended Intelligence and co-Chair of IEEE Industry Initiatives, and member of the Council of the International Military Council on Climate and Security.