Lara Scarpitta is the current OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues. She is an expert on peace mediation and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) with over a decade of experience in promoting the role of women in conflict and post-conflict countries in South East Europe and in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region especially Bosnia and Herzegovina, Syria, Yemen and Libya. Prior to joining the OSCE, she worked for over 15 years for different EU institutions. Since 2019 Dr. Scarpitta has also been advising the Centre for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University on Gender and Women, Peace and Security. She holds a PhD in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Birmingham.