The Foundation’s mission is to encourage research for rare and orphan diseases. The BLACKSWAN Foundation was established in Switzerland in 2010 to contribute to the development of research on rare and orphan diseases worldwide. The Foundation supports research on all different types of rare and orphan disease, which makes its vision unique and helps in finding new solutions that can assist a large variety of projects. Besides its funding research mission, the Foundation organizes every two years the RE(ACT) Congress, which became an international reference point for rare disease experts. In three editions, more than 1,500 scientists were able to establish approximately fifty collaborations.

 Provided geopolitical research and analysis to the mission Overseen USD 0.5 M community projects portfolio 
 Promoted cooperation with local and international development stakeholders As senior staff, provided strategic advise to the Head of Mission Supervised 12 staff Location: Hebron, Palestinian Territories

 Raised 1.2 mio USD for UNHCR's emergency projects.  Identified actual displacement risks in the region and implemented plans and measures to improve UNHCR's emergency preparedness.Location: Tbilisi, Georgia

 Developed 2 EU grant proposals on women’s rightsLocation: Sierra Leone, Freetown

 Drafted 10 final reports for UNDP’s donors (e.g. SIDA, CIDA, EU, etc.)Location: Sierra Leone, Freetown

 Accompanied the establishment of a UNHCR office in the Russian-occupied territories together with a team of 14 staff managing a comprehensive USD 10 M. humanitarian programme for more than 30,000 beneficiaries Supported the UN Coordinator in establishing a national coordination platform for UN, NGOs, Donors and Georgian authorities and chaired the Gori regional platformLocation: Georgia, Gori

 Led the elaboration and implementation of a joint (UN, NGO and Donor) strategy in the breakaway Abkhazia, with a budget growing from 1 to USD 5 M. Persuaded and supported the Government in elaborating a National Strategy for the 300,000 Internally Displaced Persons in Georgia Developed close and dynamic relationships with main UNHCR Donors (EU, SDC, Statoil and USAID) Coordinated the UN joint elaboration of contingency plans and seconded to UN Ecuador to replicate the exerciseLocation: Georgia, Tbilisi

 Supported the Government and the UN system in elaborating a national contingency plan for massive influxes of Colombian refugeesLocation: Ecuador

 Represented Switzerland in UNHCR Executive Committee Coordinated emergency response to 2005 spring floods in Romania Supported SDC office in Niger in elaborating a strategy against the chronic famineLocation: Switzerland, Bern

 Built the capacities of local authorities to lead district development processes, through training and technical advise Supported two local entrepreneurs in creating and consolidating a printing businessLocation: Rwanda, Kybuye

 Facilitated the opening of a pilot vocational training centre for vulnerable youth Coordinated the setting up of the first jobfair for students in Cambodia Led the establishment of an NGO coordination platform on Children’s rightsLocation: Cambodia, Phnom Penh

 Conducted comparative desk research into social policy schemes in Europe Carried out 80 interviews with government officials, NGOs and academics  Co-drafted articles and a research paper “Policies of social integration in Europe”Location: Switzerland, Lausanne