George is a senior programme and operations management professional with more than 18 years of hands-on experience working across humanitarian, development, and migration contexts with the United Nations, international financial institutions, government partners and civil society.
George currently serves as Programme Officer and Head of Programme with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Tunisia, where he leads country‑level programme strategy, donor‑funded portfolio management, monitoring and evaluation, and partnership oversight in support of refugees and asylum‑seekers.
Prior to his current role, George held several senior positions with UNHCR, including Programme Officer in Ethiopia, where he supported the expansion of assistance programmes for refugees fleeing the Sudan crisis, and Programme Monitoring Officer and Head of Programme Unit in Gaziantep, Türkiye, providing programme leadership for cross‑border humanitarian operations in Northwest Syria. He also served on emergency deployment to Ukraine in 2022, supporting programme design and material and legal assistance for displaced populations during the acute phase of the crisis.
Earlier in his UN career, George worked at UNHCR Regional Office for the South Caucasus and UNHCR Georgia, where he led country‑level programme planning and inter‑agency coordination. George has extensive expertise in results‑based management, protection‑sensitive programming, donor relations, and monitoring and evaluation. He is an UN ILO (International Training Centre)‑certified Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and has led the design and implementation of RBM frameworks for large, multi‑donor portfolios exceeding USD 100 million. His experience includes close collaboration with national authorities, UN agencies, international & national NGOs, and private sector partners, as well as regular engagement with major donors.
Between 2025 and 2026, he also worked as an Evaluation Consultant for UNDP Georgia, conducting independent project evaluations and contributing to organizational learning and accountability. George holds a Master of Professional Studies in International Development from Cornell University and a Master of Science in International Management from Royal Holloway, University of London, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Tbilisi State University. He is fluent in English and Russian, with working knowledge of French, and brings a strong interdisciplinary perspective bridging development economics, migration governance, and social equity.
Working across humanitarian, development and migration contexts, I have seen change occur when policy, data, and lived experience are intentionally connected. Progress happens when protection‑sensitive programming is grounded in evidence, informed by affected communities, and delivered through strong partnerships with local actors and institutions. Small shifts, such as improved access to services or inclusive decision‑making, can translate into meaningful, systemic change over timeGeorge Badurashvili