Lara Saade

Lara Saade is a prominent lawyer and policy advisor. She has held senior managerial and technical roles in regional organizations and UN agencies, notably UNDP and UN Women, in Lebanon and the MENA region. She currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Minister of Justice in Lebanon, where she provides high-level legal and political advice on justice sector reforms, judicial independence, legislative matters, and public policy, while also leading on strategic planning and external relations.

Lara is also a member of the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW), where she serves as Chair of the Committee on Women’s Participation in Decision-Making and National Focal Point for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

She advises on parliamentary and governmental affairs for a wide range of stakeholders including members of parliament, ministers, international organizations, political parties, and NGOs. She consults for several international development organizations and local NGOs, and teaches specialized courses in municipal governance, financial management, and public procurement at Notre Dame University- Louaize.

Lara has a proven track record in shaping and advancing policy and legislative reforms in Lebanon across key domains including governance, public sector reform, decentralization and municipal strengthening, public financial management, budgeting and transparency at central and local levels, anti-corruption, justice, education, human rights, and gender equality. She has authored numerous specialized studies and research papers in these fields.

Her achievements and contributions have been recognized through several prestigious international honors: the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship in Public Policy Analysis & Public Administration, the Konrad Adenauer Scholarship, the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), and the MEPI Visionary Ambassador award.

Ms. Saade holds a Master's in Public Law from Paris Saclay University (France), a postgraduate degree in Public Administration from Syracuse University (USA), a Maîtrise in Law from Saint Joseph University (Lebanon), and advanced academic degrees in Municipal Administration and Finance from the Lebanese American University (Lebanon) and Political Mediation from Saint Joseph University (Lebanon).

She is fluent in Arabic, English, and French, and has basic Spanish skills.