Helen Ólafsdóttir is a security sector and development specialist. She has worked for the United Nations Development Programme for 17 years and is currently a chief of technical security sector in Somalia, focusing on people centred security and on the nexus between climate change and security.

Ólafsdóttir perviously worked as a policy specialist in areas of rule of law, security and human rights in UNDP New York, supporting post-conflict and conflict states, primarily in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. She served in Iraq as an advisor in crisis prevention and recovery and supported the Afghan Government in forming the National Development in 2008.

Before joining the UN, Ólafsdóttir served in Sri Lanka for the Norwegian Special Envoy, seconded by the Icelandic Foreign Ministry, first as a spokesperson for the Sri Lanka Ceasefire Monitoring Mission and later a political advisor to the head of mission. Previously Ólafsdóttir worked in the Political Division in the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and served for the Permanent Mission of Iceland to the Council of Europe.

Helen has an MSc from the London School of Economics in Politics of the World Economy and an MSc from Bristol University in International Relations.