Elizabeth Sáenz
Liaison Officer in Geneva (UNODC-WHO Programme on drug dependence treatment and Care)
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

She is a pediatric specialist with a master’s degree in Public Health in Developing Countries and Maternal and Child Health. She has worked as a practitioner in both the public and private sectors and has developed a deep sensitivity to the social dimensions of health care and the provision of health services.

Throughout her career, she has worked in several United Nations organizations, including the Pan American Health Organization, the United Nations Population Fund, and most recently the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), where she has been responsible for coordinating global programmes on the treatment of drug use disorders for the past 13 years. These experiences have allowed her to gain relevant understanding of the goals of the organization and agencies specific mandates, as well as the interactions amongst them.

In early 2020 she was assigned as UNODC Liaison Officer in Geneva. In this new role, she is responsible of promoting UNODC and World Health Organization (WHO) efforts in working on a comprehensive, holistic and integrated approach to drug demand reduction, and promote and enhance interagency cooperation relating to the UNODC-WHO Programme on Drug Dependence Treatment and Care.