Stephanie Koury has served as Head of Office for the UN Special Envoy for Syria since 1 August 2016. Previously, she served as the Principal Political Affairs Officer to the Special Envoy in Syria in Geneva, overseeing the development of the political process initiatives and substantive preparations for the intra-Syrian talks. Prior to Syria, she served in Yemen from 2013 – 2015 with the Office of the Special Advisor, supporting his mediation efforts on the national dialogue process and power-sharing in a multi-party context, and coordinating expert support for the Yemeni constitutional drafting committee. From 2011 – 2013, Ms. Koury served with UNSMIL, initially in the East and later covering political developments in the south; working with human rights colleagues on the political isolation law; supporting elections colleagues and negotiating access for voting in conflicted areas; and promoting political participation of the minority communities. Prior to joining the UN, Ms. Koury served as a research fellow in the law department at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London from 2004 – 2008. She holds a B.A in Political Science and J.D. in Law from the University of Texas at Austin.