Margareta Wahlström is a Swedish diplomat who has held various leadership positions in the Red Cross, including as the Under Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the President of the Swedish Red Cross. She also has held leadership posts with the UN, including as the first Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Head of UN’s office for DRR as well as Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator.

In this episode, Margareta Wahlström reflects on her career with the Red Cross and the UN, and her experience in shifting from humanitarian response to disaster risk reduction. Wahlström shares her experience on how she brought organizations, communities and governments together to agree on a global agreement known today as the Sendai Framework for DRR.

Disclaimer: The opinions and memories expressed in the “I Was There” podcast series are those of each individual speaker and do not imply the expression of any opinion or responsibility on the part of UN OCHA.