Biography

Margaret Williams is the Associate Director for SDG16+ Global Policy and Advocacy at the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, housed at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation.With over a decade of experience at the intersection of sustainable development, peacebuilding, governance, and human rights, Margaret specializes in building strategic partnerships across sectors and geographies to advance inclusive, adaptive, and practical policy solutions. Her work bridges global frameworks and local realities, fostering cross-regional collaboration among governments, civil society, multilateral institutions, philanthropy, and the private sector.Over the past seven years, Margaret has been deeply engaged in the SDG agenda—leading multi-stakeholder coalitions and shaping policy and practice to promote peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. She brings a strong background in relationship-building, policy development and research, and program implementation, supporting the translation of global commitments into actionable, context-sensitive strategies amidst evolving global challenges.Her earlier work focused on youth and women’s empowerment, governance, state-society relations, and community engagement, with an emphasis on participatory approaches and inclusive governance.She also held roles in corporate immigration, working with multinational banks and in-house counsel. Based in New York, Margaret has lived and worked in Tunisia, Palestine, Cyprus, and Greece, and supported initiatives in Georgia, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, and Uganda.