Vicki Soanes

Vicki Soanes has almost a decade of experience working in the NGO sector in Zambia, the UK, France and the USA. Immediately prior to returning to New Zealand in 2009, she spent four and a half years representing International Movement ATD Fourth World, an INGO focused on extreme poverty and human rights, at the United Nations in New York.

Vicki completed a Master of International Relations (Distinction) at Victoria University Wellington, her thesis looking at the participation and representation of people living in poverty at the United Nations.

After a year with UNICEF NZ as Advocacy Manager – International, she joined the Secretariat of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO in 2010, as Education Programme Officer with additional responsibility for the youth programme.

Vicki was appointed Secretary General in 2016. As the Secretary General, Vicki leads a small Secretariat which undertakes a programme of activities to promote UNESCO’s mandate in New Zealand.