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In the world of humanitarian aid, who are we really accountable to? In this episode of Protection Leadership, host Panos Moumtzis is joined by Louise Aubin, UNHCR Representative in Malaysia, for a powerful conversation on moral clarity, accountability, and protection-centred leadership in today’s humanitarian crises. Together, they explore why protection is everyone’s business, not a specialist function, but a shared responsibility that should guide every humanitarian decision, across sectors and contexts. Louise reflects on the now-influential moment when she sketched the idea of the “centrality of protection” on a napkin. A simple concept that went on to shape global humanitarian policy and practice. “I’ve had protection as my compass — because it reminds me who I’m accountable to.”  — Louise Aubin Drawing on experience from Cox’s Bazar, Niger, and her current role in Malaysia, Louise illustrates how principle, pragmatism, humility, and collaboration are essential to effective leadership, particularly when resources are limited and the stakes are high. Key Takeaways Protection Is Everyone’s Responsibility Real impact happens when protection moves beyond mandates. Whether working on food, shelter, health, or education, every humanitarian actor shares responsibility for the safety, dignity, and rights of displaced people. Leadership Requires Moral Clarity, Humility, and Purpose Effective leaders are guided by the needs of affected communities, not by ego or certainty. Louise highlights the importance of balancing humility with decisive action, while remaining passionately focused on protection outcomes. Influence Comes Through Connection and Coalition-Building True influence isn’t just positional. Building broad coalitions (across civil society, authorities, humanitarian actors, and communities) creates space for change. Listening, consultation, and collaboration are critical leadership tools. Timestamps (00:00) Centrality of protection and leadership (03:14) What “centrality of protection” really means (09:29) Navigating humanitarian crises with limited resources (11:01) Advocacy and refugee collaboration in Asia (15:59) Core challenges in protecting refugees (17:30) Building refugee support and social cohesion in Malaysia (21:44) Trusting staff and letting go of control in emergencies (24:35) Engaging broadly across the humanitarian system (30:11) Balancing protection and development approaches (33:40) Doctrine, creativity, and adaptive leadership (36:04) Ethical debates in besieged and high-risk settings (40:34) Passion, humility, and decisive leadership (43:54) Why protection sharpens humanitarian priorities (45:47) Final reflections on protection leadership Guest Bio: Louise Aubin Louise Aubin is the UNHCR Representative in Malaysia. A human rights lawyer by training, she is an expert in refugee law, international humanitarian law, and internal displacement, with more than 25 years of experience across law, policy, and humanitarian leadership. Most recently, Louise served as UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Niger. As UNHCR’s Deputy Director for International Protection, she led the UN Global Protection Cluster and helped shape global policy on internal displacement, children, gender, education, and community-based programming. Discover More about Louise   Find Louise on LinkedIn If you enjoyed this episode of Protection Leadership, please subscribe, share, and leave a review. For more practical insights and real-world conversations that put protection at the heart of humanitarian action, visit geli.org.

What does it really mean to lead on protection during today’s humanitarian crises? In the first episode of Protection Leadership, Panos Moumtzis is joined by Ruven Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees at UNHCR, for an in-depth conversation on the evolving realities of refugee protection and humanitarian leadership. Together, they explore the growing pressure on the international protection system, from governments questioning the relevance of the 1951 Refugee Convention, to the complex realities of mixed migration, shrinking humanitarian resources, and long-term displacement crises. “Everything we do has protection at its core.” – Ruven Menikdiwela Drawing on more than 30 years of frontline and leadership experience, Ruven shares practical insights on advocacy, coalition-building, and getting things done in complex operational environments, while keeping the most vulnerable at the centre of decision-making. Key Takeaways Advocacy Must Offer Solutions, Not Just Problems Effective protection advocacy requires empathy and realism. Ruven explains why engaging governments means understanding their constraints and pairing principled positions with practical, feasible solutions, rather than simply escalating concerns. Protection Is Central to All Humanitarian Action Protection goes far beyond legal frameworks. From how camps are designed and lit, to education access and registration systems, protection principles must shape every operational decision to make a real difference in people’s lives. Courage, Prioritisation, and Partnerships Matter More Than Ever With humanitarian funding under increasing strain, leaders must embrace hyper-prioritisation, clear messaging, and strong coalitions. Data-driven advocacy and coordinated diplomacy are essential to ensure those most at risk are not left behind. Timestamps (00:00) Introducing Ruven Menikdiwela and UNHCR’s protection mandate (05:36) Refugee obligations and today’s migration challenges (08:14) Simplifying humanitarian coordination systems (12:07) Protection beyond basic services (14:39) UN reform and coordination evolution (16:24) Focused humanitarian strategies in Ukraine (22:19) Evolving refugee policies and inclusion (25:58) Government approaches to refugee transfers (27:56) Advocacy through empathy and solutions (32:11) Sexual violence as a weapon of war (35:51) Principles of unified humanitarian diplomacy (39:46) Protecting refugees through strategic advocacy (42:15) Why protection is simply common sense (44:11) Advocating for detained asylum seekers Guest Bio: Ruven Menikdiwela Ruven Menikdiwela is the Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees at UNHCR. She brings over three decades of experience working with and for refugees, having held senior leadership roles, including UNHCR Representative in Pakistan and Thailand. An expert in international refugee law, Ruven has served in multiple critical legal and protection-focused positions since joining UNHCR in 1988. Her career has been defined by a commitment to principled yet pragmatic protection leadership across complex humanitarian contexts. Discover More about Ruven Find Ruven on LinkedIn If you enjoyed this episode of Protection Leadership, please subscribe, share, and leave a review. For more practical insights and real-world conversations that put protection at the heart of humanitarian action, visit geli.org.

Protection Leadership is a podcast hosted by Panos Moumtzis, Executive Director of the Global Executive Leadership Initiative (GELI). Through conversations with leaders from the UN, NGOs, donors, and local partners, the series explores how to lead on protection in practice, advocating in sensitive contexts, influencing decision-makers, empowering teams, and staying principled under pressure. Practical insights and real-world stories put protection at the center of humanitarian action. Contact Us: https://geli.org/contact-us  Funded by the European Union Humanitarian Aid Produced by Saspod If you enjoyed this episode of Protection Leadership, please subscribe, share, and leave a review. For more practical insights and real-world conversations that put protection at the heart of humanitarian action, visit geli.org.