Philippa Neave Keynote Speaker

Philippa Neave is an elections expert specialising in communications, public outreach, civic education and the political participation of women and youth. Over 15 years on electoral technical assistance missions—largely with the United Nations—she has built clear, inclusive strategies that raise turnout, trust and legitimacy. An Arabic speaker with deep Middle East experience, she works in five languages and is based in France.

Philippa has worked on first democratic elections in Afghanistan, Madagascar, South Sudan and Tunisia, as well as in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. She also delivered Iraq’s Out-of-Country Voting programme in the UAE, and again in Jordan and Turkey. She develops and oversees nationwide public-information campaigns across print, audio, video and online channels.

A seasoned trainer and advisor, she conceives and delivers media-training for journalists and candidates—particularly women—and supports election commissions, ministries and partner organisations on Strategic Communications. She has extensive experience with civil society: strategic planning for capacity building, communications and visibility training, and workshops that expand participation for women, youth and marginalised communities.

She conceived and produced the tri-lingual Arabic–English–French Lexicon of Electoral Terminology, standardising language for institutions and citizens across the region. Earlier in her career, Philippa was a journalist focused on the Arab world and a foreign correspondent in Rome, Paris and New York. She later led Middle East programmes as Director for a British INGO in Lebanon for seven years, and served as deputy Secretary General of the Parliamentary Association for Euro-Arab Cooperation.

A TED speaker and natural storyteller, she delivers engaging talks on UN reform, elections and the Middle East—sharing field-tested lessons audiences can apply immediately. Philippa equips leaders with practical frameworks for designing non-partisan voter education, countering misinformation and widening participation in challenging environments.