Paola Babos

Paola Babos is a senior manager with over 20 years of experience in international development. She was appointed Deputy Director of the International Training Centre of the ILO in April 2024.

Prior to joining the ITCILO, Ms. Paola Babos served with UNICEF over a period spanning 15 years. Most recently, she was UNICEF Deputy Representative in Brazil, leading the programme team and advancing policies for youth employability, education, early childhood development, water and sanitation, vaccination, and youth climate action. From 2009 to 2019 she held different posts in the West and Central Africa region, including Regional Gender Adviser and Regional Programme Planning Officer supporting 24 Country Offices across the region. She started her UNICEF career as Planning Officer in the Burkina Faso Country Office.

Prior to UNICEF, Ms. Babos held policy positions with the UN Secretariat, working with the Office of the High Commissioner for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) as well as with the OECD, as Social Innovation Analyst in the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship. Her initial field work focused on humanitarian work in Serbia and Kosovo, working with both civil society and UNHCR. Before her career in international development, Ms. Babos worked in international affairs for a consumer electronics company.

Paola holds a BSc in Government and Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago.