Catherine Bragg

Dr. Catherine Bragg is a former Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the United Nations (2008-2013). As the ASG, she was the deputy head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). Prior to her secondment to the UN, she has spent 24 years in the federal public service of Canada, in multiple departments, including Justice, Defence, and the Privy Council Office. In 2004-2008, she headed the International Humanitarian Assistance, Peace and Security Program of the Canadian International Development Agency. As Canada’s senior official, she represented Canada on the Executive Committee and Executive Board of the UN High Commission for Refugees and the World Food Program.

Bragg continues to contribute to humanitarian affairs and academic advancement through her participation globally in major national and multi-national humanitarian initiatives, governance and advisory bodies. For the past 10 years, she was Adjunct Full Professor in the Centre for Humanitarian Action, University College Dublin, Ireland, and is a frequently invited speaker in universities in Europe and Asia. In 2016-2020, she was appointed member of the Governing Council of University of Toronto. In total, she has visited over 100 countries and been involved in response to close to 30 humanitarian crises and situations.

Bragg received her degrees from University of Toronto (B.Sc. Psychology), University of Cambridge (M.Phil. Criminology) and the State University of New York at Albany (Ph.D. Criminal Justice).

Updated January, 2024