Robert Paiva currently represents the International Organization for Migration (IOM) at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Prior to taking up that post in 1997, he headed IOM's Department for Planning, Research and Evaluation (1994-1997) and served as Chef de Cabinet (1985-1994). From 1975 to 1985, Mr. Paiva was a member of the United States Foreign Service whose diplomatic postings included Tegucigalpa, Abidjan and Geneva. He graduated cum laude from Georgetown University (Washington, DC) in 1974 with a BSFS degree in international affairs.
Mr. Paiva has been directly associated with IOM's work related to migrant trafficking/smuggling since his organization became involved in the field in the early 1990s. This has entailed helping to develop IOM's research and publication agenda focused on trafficking, promoting international dialogue on the issue beginning with IOM's ground-breaking 1994 Seminar, and participating in numerous conferences and intergovernmental gatherings where the topic has been discussed.
