New Director of UNESCO's Information Society Division

Miriam Nisbet, an information law expert from the USA, has just taken office as Director of UNESCO's Information Society Division. Ms Nisbet succeeds Elizabeth Longworth, of New-Zealand, who now heads the Office of UNESCO’s Director-General.

With a Doctor in Law (University of North Carolina, USA, 1977) and a B.A. in History (University of North Carolina, USA, 1971), Ms Nisbet was Staff Attorney at the National Association of Attorneys General in 1977/1978 and then worked for the US Department of Justice from 1978 to 1994 where her last position was Deputy Director of the Office of Information and Privacy.

She worked at the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, from 1993 to 1999 where she first occupied the post of Special Assistant to the Archivist of the US and then Special Counsel for Information Policy. Since 1999 she has been Legislative Counsel at the American Library Association.

In addition, Ms Nisbet was a member of the US Delegation to The Hague Conference on Private International Law, of the American Bar Association and of the American Law Institute; she was also President of the American Society of Access Professionals and a member of its Board of Directors.

The Information Society Division is one of the three Divisions of UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector, that is led by Abdul Waheed Khan.