Scott Smith joined the Electoral Assistance Division of the United Nations in June 2003, where he covered the Afghan presidential and parliamentary elections. He has also overseen electoral projects in Tajikistan, Ghana, the Netherlands Antilles and Lebanon. Other work with the UN, which he joined in 1998, has included covering the Afghan desk as assisting peace negotiations in the South Pacific (Bougainville). Prior to joining the UN, he worked as a freelance writer and as a humanitarian project manager in Afghanistan. Mr. Smith earned a Masters in International Relations from Columbia University (1998) and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from GeorgetownUniversity (1991).