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REGISTER

Speakers

Elizabeth “Betsy” Andersen

Executive Director, Basel Institute on Governance

Anne Applebaum

Pulitzer-prize winning historian

Kamel Ayadi

Board of Directors, World Justice Project

Janet L. Banda

Deputy Secretary to the President and Cabinet and Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit,

Government of Malawi

Adam Bodnar

Minister of Justice, Republic of Poland

Kevin Casas-Zamora

Secretary General, International IDEA 

CHEUK Chi-yan Kate

Assistant Director of Corruption Prevention, Independent Commission Against Corruption,

Hong Kong SAR

Robert J. Currie

Viscount Bennett Professor of Law, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University

Emilia Díaz-Struck

Executive Director, Global Investigative Journalism Network

Inbal Djalovski

Member of Compliance Review Panel, Asian Development Bank

Mai El-Sadany

Executive Director, Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy

Gianluca Esposito

Director General, Human Rights & Rule of Law, Council of Europe

Aidan Eyakuze

CEO, Open Government Partnership

Blair Glencorse

Founder & Co-CEO, Accountability Lab

Mary Beth Goodman

Deputy Secretary-General, OECD

Maja Groff

Executive Director, Climate Governance Commission; Chair, Planetary Governance Program at The New Institute

Arturo Herrera Gutierrez

Global Director for Institutions, World Bank Group

Hon. Justice (Retd) Evans Mweembani Hamaundu

Board Chairperson, Anti-Courruption Commission Zambia

Alvaro Herrero

Executive Coordinator, International Open Justice Network

William C. Hubbard

Co-founder & Board Chair, World Justice Project

Park Hyekyung

Director of Anti-corruption Policy Division, Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission

Serena Ibrahim

Founder & Executive Director, Youth Against Corruption (YAC)

Nozomi Iwama

Deputy Director General, Governance and Peace Building Department, JICA

Khunan Jargalsaikhan

Commissioner, National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia

Jesper Johnsøn

Deputy Head of Division, Anti-Corruption and Integrity in Government, OECD

Udo Jude Ilo

CEO, HiiL

Jaewoo Jung

Judge, Jinju District Court, South Korea

Alyson Kiltpatrick

Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Adam Krzywoń

Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Poland

Rueben Lifuka

Zambia Country Director, Chandler Foundation

Justice (Retd) Madan B. Lokur

Former Judge for the Supreme Court of India

Michael McGrath

Commissioner, Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, European Commission

Judge Mary Margaret McKeown

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 

Luis Henry Molina

President of the Supreme Court, Dominican Republic

Utaara Mootu

Member of National Assembly, Parliament of Namibia

Justice Mandisa Muriel Lindelwa Maya

Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa

William Neukom

Co-Founder & CEO, World Justice Project

Habiba Osman

CEO/Executive Secretary, Malawi Human Rights Commission

Clare Ovey

Director of Human Rights, Council of Europe

Flávia Pellegrino

Executive Director, Pacto Pela Democracia

Srirak Plipat

Regional Director for Asia Pacific

Alejandro Ponce

Executive Director, World Justice Project

Ketakandriana Rafitoson

Vice-Chair, Transparency International

Sirpa Rautio

Director, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

Maria A. Ressa

2021 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Co-founder and CEO, Rappler

Phiset Sa-Ardyen

Executive Director of Thailand Institute of Justice

Margaret Satterthwaite

UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers

Amrit Singh

Professor & founding Executive Director of the Rule of Law Impact Lab, Stanford Law School

Karam Jeet Singh

Deputy Director, Integrity Initiatives International (III)

Panupun Som-skul

Director, Monitoring & Evaluation, NHRC Thailand

Christopher Stephens

Senior Vice President & General Counsel, World Bank Group

Clare Tan

Deputy Director, Corporate Communications, CPIB

Mehmet Tank

Former Judge, Republic of Türkiye

Thierry Wickers

President, Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe

Dorota Zabłudowska

Judge, District Court Gdańsk-Południe

Anne Applebaum

Pulitzer-prize winning historian

Adam Bodnar

Minister of Justice, Republic of Poland

Kevin Casas-Zamora

Secretary General, International IDEA 

Aidan Eyakuze

CEO, Open Government Partnership

Mary Beth Goodman

Deputy Secretary-General, OECD

William C. Hubbard

Co-founder & Board Chair, World Justice Project

Michael McGrath

Commissioner, Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, European Commission

Luis Henry Molina

President of the Supreme Court, Dominican Republic

Justice Mandisa Muriel Lindelwa Maya

Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa

Sirpa Rautio

Director, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

Maria A. Ressa

2021 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Co-founder and CEO, Rappler

Christopher Stephens

Senior Vice President & General Counsel
World Bank Group

Elizabeth “Betsy” Andersen

Executive Director, Basel Institute on Governance

Anne Applebaum

Pulitzer-prize winning historian

Adam Bodnar

Minister of Justice, Republic of Poland

Kevin Casas-Zamora

Secretary General, International IDEA 

Emilia Díaz-Struck

Executive Director, Global Investigative Journalism Network

Gianluca Esposito

Director General, Human Rights & Rule of Law, Council of Europe

Aidan Eyakuze

CEO, Open Government Partnership

Blair Glencorse

Co-CEO, Accountability Lab

Mary Beth Goodman

Deputy Secretary-General, OECD

Arturo Herrera Gutierrez

Global Director for Institutions, World Bank Group

William C. Hubbard

Co-founder & Board Chair, World Justice Project

Udo Jude Ilo

CEO, HiiL

Alyson Kiltpatrick

Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Michael McGrath

Commissioner, Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, European Commission

Luis Henry Molina

President of the Supreme Court, Dominican Republic

Utaara Mootu

Member of National Assembly, Parliament of Namibia

Justice Mandisa Muriel Lindelwa Maya

Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa

Flávia Pellegrino

Executive Director, Pacto Pela Democracia

Alejandro Ponce

Executive Director, World Justice Project

Sirpa Rautio

Director, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

Maria A. Ressa

2021 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Co-founder and CEO, Rappler

Margaret Satterthwaite

UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers

Amrit Singh

Professor & founding Executive Director of the Rule of Law Impact Lab, Stanford Law School

Christopher Stephens

Senior Vice President & General Counsel, World Bank Group

Mehmet Tank

Former Judge, Republic of Türkiye

Thierry Wickers

President, Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe

Dorota Zabłudowska

Judge, District Court Gdańsk-Południe

Kamel Ayadi

Board of Directors, World Justice Project

Janet L. Banda

Deputy Secretary to the President and Cabinet and Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit,

Government of Malawi

CHEUK Chi-yan Kate

Assistant Director of Corruption Prevention, Independent Commission Against Corruption,

Hong Kong SAR

Robert J. Currie

Viscount Bennett Professor of Law, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University

Inbal Djalovski

Member of Compliance Review Panel, Asian Development Bank

Mai El-Sadany

Executive Director, Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy

Maja Groff

Executive Director, Climate Governance Commission; Chair, Planetary Governance Program at The New Institute

Hon. Justice (Retd) Evans Mweembani Hamaundu

Board Chairperson, Anti-Courruption Commission Zambia

Alvaro Herrero

Executive Coordinator, International Open Justice Network

Park Hyekyung

Director of Anti-corruption Policy Division, Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission

Serena Ibrahim

Founder & Executive Director, Youth Against Corruption (YAC)

Nozomi Iwama

Deputy Director General, Governance and Peace Building Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Khunan Jargalsaikhan

Commissioner, National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia

Jesper Johnsøn

Deputy Head of Division, Anti-Corruption and Integrity in Government, OECD

Jaewoo Jung

Judge, Jinju District Court, South Korea

Adam Krzywoń

Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Poland

Rueben Lifuka

Zambia Country Director, Chandler Foundation

Justice (Retd) Madan B. Lokur

Former Judge for the Supreme Court of India

Habiba Osman

CEO/Executive Secretary, Malawi Human Rights Commission

Srirak Plipat

Regional Director for Asia Pacific

Ketakandriana Rafitoson

Vice-Chair, Transparency International

Phiset Sa-Ardyen

Executive Director of Thailand Institute of Justice

Karam Jeet Singh

Deputy Director, Integrity Initiatives International (III)

Panupun Som-skul

Director, Monitoring & Evaluation, NHRC Thailand

Clare Tan

Deputy Director, Corporate Communications, Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau

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Elizabeth “Betsy” Andersen

Executive Director, Basel Institute on Governance

Elizabeth «Betsy» Andersen is the Executive Director of the Basel Institute on Governance, leading its global efforts to counter corruption, strengthen governance and promote integrity in the public and private sectors. She assumed the role in March 2025, building on a distinguished career at the intersection of law, justice, governance and international development. Most recently, Betsy served as Executive Director of the World Justice Project. Previously she served as Director of the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, as Executive Director of the American Society of International Law, and as Executive Director of Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia Division. Betsy is a frequent speaker and widely published author on topics relating to corruption, human rights, and rule of law development; and she has been honoured with numerous awards for her work advancing the rule of law.

Anne Applebaum

Pulitzer-prize winning historian

Anne Applebaum is a staff writer for The Atlantic and a Pulitzer-prize winning historian. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the SNF Agora Institute. After graduating from Yale University, she was a Marshall Scholar at the LSE and St. Antony’s College, Oxford. She was a Washington Post columnist for more than fifteen years and a member of the editorial board. She has also worked as the Foreign and Deputy Editor of the Spectator magazine, and as a columnist at Slate and the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs. She has lectured at Yale, Harvard, Stanford and Columbia Universities, as well as Oxford, Cambridge, London, Heidelberg, Maastricht, Zurich, Humboldt, Texas A&M, Houston and others.

Kamel Ayadi

Board of Directors, World Justice Project

Mr. Kamel Ayadi is a distinguished Tunisian engineer, public servant, and international expert in governance, with 36+ years in anti-corruption, ethics, and regulatory reform. He serves on the Board of the World Justice Project and is a member of the Chandler Sessions on Integrity at Oxford University. He held top government roles in Tunisia, including Minister of Public Service, Governance, and Anti-Corruption; Secretary of State; Senator; and Chairman of the Regulatory Authority of Telecommunication. He served as President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations in 2003, representing over 100 member countries, and served as the founding Chair of its Standing Committee on Anti-Corruption. He holds degrees in engineering, law, and a Cambridge Business English Certificate.

Janet L. Banda

Deputy Secretary to the President and Cabinet and Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit, Government of Malawi

Dr. Janet L. Banda is Deputy Secretary to the President and Cabinet and Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit in Malawi. Her 32 year public career includes senior government roles, including Solicitor General and Secretary for Justice; Secretary for Lands, Housing and Urban Development; Principal Secretary (Government Contracts) in the Office of the President and Cabinet; and Chief Law Reform Officer, and Acting Law Commissioner. As Chair of Malawi’s OGP Steering Committee, she leads governance reforms championed by government and civil society and is the supervisory head of the OGP Secretariat in Malawi. She holds a PhD in Law and Development (University of London), LLM in International Legal Studies (University of Georgia), and LLB (University of Malawi). She was conferred as Senior Counsel in 2016.

Adam Bodnar

Minister of Justice, Republic of Poland

Adam Bodnar is the Minister of Justice of Poland, a legal scholar, and human rights advocate. He holds a PhD and habilitation in law, and earned an LLM in comparative constitutional law from Central European University. He served as Poland’s Ombudsman (2015–2021) and is Dean of the Faculty of Law at SWPS University, visiting professor at the University of Cologne, and senior fellow at CEU’s Democracy Institute. He has advised the UN, EU, and co-founded several NGOs. A published author, he is a recipient of the Rafto Prize and WJP’s Rule of Law Award. In 2023, he was elected Senator representing Warsaw’s 44th district and the Polish diaspora. 

Kevin Casas-Zamora

Secretary General, International IDEA

Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora has been Secretary-General of International IDEA since 2019 and is a Senior Fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue. With over 30 years of experience in democratic governance, he has served as Costa Rica’s Second Vice President, Minister of National Planning, and OAS Secretary for Political Affairs. He has held fellowships at the Brookings Institution and taught at Georgetown, George Washington University, and UT Dallas. He holds a Law degree from the University of Costa Rica, an MA from Essex University, and a PhD from Oxford University. An expert in political finance, elections, and democratization, his award-winning research includes Paying for Democracy in Latin America. In 2007, he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

CHEUK Chi-yan Kate

Assistant Director of Corruption Prevention, Independent Commission Against Corruption, Hong Kong SAR

Ms CHEUK Chi-yan Kate joined the Independent Commission Against Corruption as an Assistant Investigator of the Operations Department in 2001 and rose through the ranks to Principal Investigator in 2018, where she served in various positions responsible for conducting and supervising corruption investigations in both public and private sectors, intelligence-related duties, as well as undertaking management and operational support work. Since 2024, Ms CHEUK has been cross-posted to the Corruption Prevention Department as an Assistant Director to lead a division to advise public and private organisations on corruption prevention systems and controls. Ms CHEUK holds a Bachelor degree in Arts from the University of Hong Kong, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of London.

Robert J. Currie

Viscount Bennett Professor of Law, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University

Professor Robert J. Currie, KC is a specialist in the area of international and transnational criminal law. He is the Viscount Bennett Professor of Law at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University. He is the co-author of International & Transnational Criminal Law, soon to be published in its 4th edition, as well as the Routledge Handbook of Transnational Criminal Law. An award-winning teacher, he has authored and co-authored numerous articles and comments in this field and his work is regularly cited by Canadian courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He is a regular contributor to continuing legal education for both the judiciary and the practicing bar.

Emilia Díaz-Struck

Executive Director, Global Investigative Journalism Network

Emilia Díaz-Struck is the Executive Director of the Global Investigative Journalism Network and former Data and Research Editor at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). She participated in over 20 ICIJ award-winning projects, including the Panama Papers, Offshore Leaks, and Pandora Papers, collaborating with journalists in 110+ countries. She was investigative reporting coordinator at the Press and Society Institute of Venezuela and in 2012 Reporter in Residence at Boston University and CONNECTAS. A data journalism pioneer in Venezuela, she co-founded Armando.info and has contributed to The Washington Post, El Universal, and El Mundo. Emilia has taught at Columbia University and the Central University of Venezuela and mentored hundreds of Latin American journalists

Inbal Djalovski

Member of Compliance Review Panel, Asian Development Bank

Inbal Djalovski is a legal professional with two decades of experience in international law, human rights, international and internal investigations, as well as accountability mechanisms in development finance institutions. She is a Member of the Compliance Review Panel of the Asian Development Bank, and an Independent Expert Panel Member for the Independent Complaints Mechanism of three European development Banks. She is a pro bono member of the international expert group assigned to draft a treaty for the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court. Previously, she served as Prosecution Lawyer at the International Criminal Court. Prior to that, she served as a legal advisor to judges at the ICTY and ICTR Appeals Chamber, and as gender equality and SGBV focal point.

Mai El-Sadany

Executive Director, Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy

Mai El-Sadany is the Executive Director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) and a human rights lawyer focused on the MENA region. She has worked to advance accountability, leverage regional mechanisms, and publish accessible analysis on legal and constitutional issues. She previously served as TIMEP’s Managing Director and Legal Director, and held roles at the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, RFK Human Rights, and Carnegie Endowment. She sits on the Steering Committee of the World Movement for Democracy and the board of HuMENA. She was named one of Washington, DC’s 500 Most Influential People by Washingtonian in 2024 and 2025. 

Gianluca Esposito

Director General, Human Rights & Rule of Law, Council of Europe

Gianluca Esposito has served as Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law at the Council of Europe since August 2024. He was previously Director of the Private Office of the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General, as well as Executive Secretary of GRECO and Head of several departments, including Crime Problems and Equality and Human Dignity. Since joining the Council in 1995, he has led negotiations on key conventions in anti-corruption, cybercrime, terrorism, and human trafficking. From 2009 to 2015, he was Senior Counsel in the Legal Department of the IMF in Washington, DC.

Aidan Eyakuze

CEO, Open Government Partnership

Aidan Eyakuze is the Chief Executive Officer of the Open Government Partnership. He previously served as Executive Director of Twaweza East Africa, promoting open governance and citizen agency in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Aidan joined the OGP Steering Committee in 2016 and served as civil society co-chair (2021–2022). He sits on the Board of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and is a Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow and member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Before joining OGP, Aidan was Associate Regional Director of the Society for International Development (SID) and Head of the SID Tanzania. He has over 15 years of experience in scenario-building and futures thinking across Africa.

Blair Glencorse

Co-CEO, Accountability Lab

Blair Glencorse is Co-CEO of Accountability Lab- a translocal network that makes governance work for people. Blair and his team have done everything from building large-scale socially conscious music campaigns across Africa; to monitoring and improving public services in South Asia; to running a prize-winning TV show around the world called Integrity Icon to “name and fame” honest government officials. Blair is also the outgoing Co-Chair of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and an outgoing member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Good Governance. He was previously a member of the World Bank’s Expert Advisory Council on Citizen Engagement. Blair speaks and writes regularly on issues of open governance, citizen participation, anti-corruption and democracy.

Mary Beth Goodman

Deputy Secretary-General, OECD

Mary Beth Goodman serves as the Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, overseeing portfolios on environment, public governance, and development, including sustainable development, climate finance, anti-corruption, and the Blue Dot Network. From 2021 to 2023, she served as U.S. Coordinator for Global COVID Response and Health Security, and earlier as Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Development and Democracy at the National Security Council. A former diplomat in Pakistan, Mali, and Washington, D.C., she also co-founded a civil society organization focused on corruption and human rights in Africa. Before her diplomatic career, she practiced international trade law participating in free trade agreement negotiations and advising on trade compliance matters.

Maja Groff

Executive Director, Climate Governance Commission; Chair, Planetary Governance Program at The New Institute

Maja Groff, Esq. is Executive Director of the Climate Governance Commission and Chair of the Planetary Governance Program at The New Institute. A board member and Senior Treaty Advisor at Integrity Initiatives International (III) Europe, she leads the drafting of a treaty to establish an International Anti-Corruption Court. As a Principal Legal Officer, she has previously worked on the development and administration of multiple multilateral treaties, as well as at international criminal tribunals. She has taught at the Hague Academy of International Law and Leiden University. She is a co-winner of the 2018 New Shape Prize for global governance innovation and is a co-author of Global Governance and the Emergence of Global Institutions for the 21st Century (Cambridge).

Arturo Herrera Gutierrez

Global Director for Institutions, World Bank Group

Arturo Herrera is the Global Director for Institutions in the Prosperity vertical at the World Bank. A Mexican national, he brings extensive experience in governance from development, academic, and practitioner perspectives. He joined the Bank in 2010 and held several leadership roles before serving as Mexico’s Deputy Finance Minister and later as Minister of Finance and Public Credit (2018–2021). In his current role, he focuses on country-level governance, particularly in fragile settings, public financial management, procurement, and legal and judicial reforms. He has taught economics at El Colegio de México and NYU, where he pursued doctoral studies. ​

Hon. Justice (Retd) Evans Mweembani Hamaundu

Board Chairperson, Anti-Corruption Commission Zambia

Hon. Mr. Justice (Retd) Evans Mweembani Hamaundu is the Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption Commission of Zambia since February 2025, following his appointment by the President, after serving as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Zambia from January 2014. J. Hamaundu holds an LLB from the University of Zambia, and began his career in the Legal Aid Department, later working in private practice and the corporate sector. He joined the Judiciary in 1996, serving as Resident Magistrate, Deputy Registrar, Registrar of the High Court, and Judge of the High Court before his elevation to the Supreme Court. Known for his expertise in criminal law, his judgments reflected deep legal insight. He retired in January 2025 after 29 years of service and was appointed Chairperson of the Commission shortly after.

Alvaro Herrero

Executive Coordinator, International Open Justice Network

Dr. Alvaro Herrero is the  Executive Coordinator of the International Open Justice Network. He is a seasoned expert in governance, rule of law and justice reform.  From 2015 to 2019 he led the open government agenda at the government of Buenos Aires city. He is the author of numerous articles and book on open justice, the rule of law, transparency and public innovation.  He has provided technical support to supreme courts, governments and civil society organizations in 20 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean working with international institutions such as the UNDP, IDB, the World Bank and USAID. He holds a law degree (Universidad Nacional de La Plata), a master’s degree in Latin American Studies (Georgetown University) and a PhD in Political Science (University of Oxford).

William C. Hubbard

Co-founder & Board Chair, World Justice Project

William C. Hubbard is the Co-founder and Chair of the Board of Directors of the World Justice Project, and the Dean of the University of South Carolina School of Law. He served as President of the American Bar Association (2014-2015). He previously chaired the ABA’s House of Delegates and is a past president of the American Bar Foundation and American Bar Endowment. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, he is also an Honorary Master of the Bench of Middle Temple in London. He also served on the University of South Carolina’s Board of Trustees (1986-2020) and was Chairman (1996-2000). He received the 2007 American Inns of Court Professionalism Award and the 2016 Burton Foundation’s «Leadership in Law» award.

Park Hyekyung

Director of Anti-Corruption Policy Division, Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission

A Korean attorney, Ms. Park Hyekyung has over 20 years of experience in anti-corruption, institutional reform, and legislative affairs as a public official. She contributed to the enactment of key laws such as the Anti-Graft Act and the Public Finance Recovery Act. As director of key policy divisions, she led reforms in whistleblower protection, expanding protected laws from 180 to 467, and overhauled Korea’s public sector integrity assessment system. She now serves as Director of Anti-corruption Policy Division at the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, overseeing national anti-corruption policy.

Serena Ibrahim

Founder & Executive Director, Youth Against Corruption (YAC)

Serena Ibrahim is the founder and executive director of YAC, a youth-led organization promoting social innovation and entrepreneurship to combat corruption. She is a board member at Integrity Initiatives International and advisory board member for the UNODC Grace initiative. Serena has served as anti-corruption consultant for international organizations such as Transparency International and the UNODC focusing on rule of law and transparency. A frequent keynote speaker at global anti-corruption events such as the UNGA special sessions, UNCAC special sessions, and OECD events. She also advises governments in the GCC on smart cities, transport, and digital economy projects. Serena holds a master’s degree in architecture and an international master’s in sustainable territorial development.

Nozomi Iwama

Deputy Director General, Governance and Peace Building Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Ms. Nozomi Iwama is the Deputy Director General in charge of governance cooperation of JICA, at the Governance and Peace Building Department. Prior to this assignment, she was the Senior Director and Head of Office for Global Issues and Development Partnership, Operations Strategy Department of JICA from February 2021 to February 2024. She was responsible for JICA’s partnership relations and strategic dialogues with development partners. She served as Senior Representative of JICA’s Vietnam Office from 2017 to 2021. Her other previous assignments include Director for Southeast Asia and Pacific Department, Deputy Director of Office of International Affairs of Financial Services Agency of Japan. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration in International Development (MPAID) from John F. Kennedy School of　Government of Harvard University.
 

Khunan Jargalsaikhan

Commissioner, National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia

Mr. Khunan Jargalsaikhan, Master of State and Law Science, is a Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia (NHRCM), previously serving as Chief Commissioner (2022–2023) and Acting Chief Commissioner (2020–2022). He is a member of the LAWASIA Executive Committee and former President of the Mongolian Bar Association. He has held roles at the UNDP and Open Society Forum, managing access to justice and legal empowerment projects. With expertise in human rights and judicial reform, he has led research on judicial independence, legal aid, and treaty application. He holds an LL.M. from Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary.

Jesper Johnsøn

Deputy Head of Division, Anti-Corruption and Integrity in Government, OECD

Dr. Jesper Johnsøn supports governments in strengthening anti-corruption and public sector integrity systems, working with senior officials through the OECD Working Party on Public Integrity and Anti-Corruption. He leads the OECD Public Integrity Indicators team and specializes in indicator development, evaluation design, and methods. Previously, he led work on SIGMA’s Principles of Public Administration for EU Enlargement countries, the Government at a Glance: Western Balkans report, and led the Evaluation and Measurement efforts at the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre. Jesper holds a PhD and a Master’s degree from the University of Cambridge, and another Master’s degrees from the University of Copenhagen.

Udo Jude Ilo

CEO, HiiL

Udo Jude Ilo is the CEO of The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) and a human rights advocate with over 21 years of experience addressing impunity, advancing democratic reforms, and promoting good governance. As Director of Open Society Foundations in Nigeria for a decade, he led efforts to expand civic space, support emerging activist movements, and strengthen accountability. He has held key leadership roles at the Nigerian Bar Association’s social justice program, the Forum of Federations, and the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), where he served as Interim Executive Director. Udo is widely recognized for his thought leadership on civic engagement, rights protection, and democratic resilience in West Africa.

Jaewoo Jung

Judge, Jinju District Court, South Korea

Jaewoo Jung is a presiding judge at the Jinju District Court in South Korea. Since his appointment as a judge in 2013, he has served for 12 years in various levels of courts, including the Seoul Central District Court. Notably, for the past two years, he served as a Director of Criminal Procedure at the Court Administration Office, responsible for the overall policies and administration of the South Korean judiciary. He graduated from Seoul National University College of Law in 2008 and received his LL.M. degree from Harvard Law School in 2022. Drawing upon his extensive experience in criminal trials and criminal justice policy within the Korean judiciary, as well as his focused studies on criminal justice at Harvard, Jaewoo Jung is eager to share his insights on judicial justice in Korea with legal professionals worldwide.

Alyson Kiltpatrick

Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Alyson Kilpatrick, a barrister called in England & Wales and in Northern Ireland, has extensive public law and human rights litigation experience, advocating for individual rights in cases like gerrymandering and transgender rights. A legal author, she served on NI’s housing commission and chaired the Simon Community NI. She advised the Irish government on UN Resolution 1325 on policing oversight and was the NI Policing Board’s Independent Human Rights Legal Advisor (2009-2017) and a UK terrorism legislation advisor (2016-2021). She conducted an inspection of the national police (An Garda Síochána) and reviewed Operation Kenova’s ECHR compliance. She is currently the Chief Commissioner of the NI Human Rights Commission, she was elected to the ENNHRI Board, and appointed GANHRI Secretary.

Adam Krzywoń

Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Poland

Adam Krzywoń was appointed as Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Poland on 1 January 2025. Currently, he serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Constitutional Law at the University of Warsaw. His academic focus includes Polish and comparative constitutional law and the protection of human rights. Additionally, he is a researcher at the German Research Institute for Public Administration (FÖV), where he leads an international research project examining the transformation of public service systems across Europe. Prof. Krzywoń’s professional experience includes, inter alia, working at the Constitutional Tribunal (2007–2008). From 2010 to 2018, he was a secretary and member of the Prime Minister’s Legislative Council

Rueben Lifuka

Zambia Country Director, Chandler Foundation

Mr. Rueben Lifuka is a Zambian anti-corruption activist and researcher with 25 years of experience. He served as Vice Chair of the global board of Transparency International and was previously Chapter President of TI Zambia. Rueben is the current Chair of the International Anti-Corruption Conference, board member of the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST), part-time Country Director for Zambia at the Chandler Foundation, and runs Riverine Zambia Ltd., a governance and environmental management consultancy firm. He is a Chartered Environmentalist with the Society for the Environment-UK. Rueben earned a Master of Development Policy and Practice from the University of Cape Town, an MSc in Integrated Environmental Management from the University of Bath, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the Copperbelt University in Zambia.

Justice Madan B. Lokur

Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India

Justice Madan B. Lokur is a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and the first Indian to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Fiji, where he served until January 2025. He currently serves as Chairperson of the United Nations Internal Justice Council and continues his work as an independent arbitrator and legal commentator. As a Supreme Court Judge, Justice Lokur was known for handling key social justice cases, with his Bench becoming widely known as the “Social Justice» Bench. Justice Lokur has been a strong advocate for judicial reform, access to justice, child rights, and environmental protection. He chaired key committees in the Indian judiciary, including the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee and the E-Committee for court computerization.

Michael McGrath

Commissioner, Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, European Commission

Michael McGrath is the Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection (2024–2029) of the European Commission. In this role, he leads the EU’s efforts to uphold democratic values, safeguard judicial independence, and protect consumer rights. Formerly Ireland’s Minister for Finance, and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, he has held several senior government positions, contributing to fiscal policy, economic recovery, and social protections. Commissioner McGrath is known for his pragmatic leadership and strong commitment to transparency, accountable governance, and the rule of law. He focuses on reinforcing EU legal frameworks and advancing democratic resilience across Member States.

Mary Margaret McKeown

Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Judge M. Margaret McKeown has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit since 1998. A Georgetown Law graduate, she was the first woman partner at Perkins Coie, specializing in antitrust and IP law. Judge McKeown is also a member of the Board of Directors of the World Justice Project. She is the former President of the Federal Judges Association and chaired the U.S. Judicial Conference Codes of Conduct Committee. She leads the Ninth Circuit Workplace Environment Committee and served on Chief Justice Roberts’ National Workplace Conduct Working Group. A global lecturer on law, she has led rule of law initiatives worldwide. Her honors include the ABA Margaret Brent Award and John Marshall Award. She has published widely on IP, ethics, and the rule of law.

Luis Henry Molina

President of the Supreme Court, Dominican Republic

Luis Henry Molina Peña has served as President of the Supreme Court of Justice and the Council of the Judiciary of the Dominican Republic since 2019. He holds a law degree from the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo and a postgraduate degree in Constitutional Law from the Catholic University of Chile. He previously served as Executive Director of the National School of the Judiciary and was the first Secretary General of the Ibero-American Network of Judicial Schools. From 2012 to 2016, he was Vice Minister of the Presidency, and in 2018, he became President of the Board of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute. He has worked with the World Bank and the European Union on initiatives to modernize justice systems and advance legal education and digital justice across Latin America.

Utaara Mootu

Member of National Assembly, Parliament of Namibia

Utaara Mootu is a Namibian politician, youth leader, and activist, serving as a Member of Parliament and spokesperson for the Landless People’s Movement (LPM). She holds a diploma in Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Public Management with honors in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Namibia. Mootu joined LPM in 2017, becoming its youngest national spokesperson and a founding member when it transitioned into a political party. Sworn into Parliament in 2020 at age 24, she advocates for youth inclusion in decision-making, land justice, educational equity, and human rights.

Justice Mandisa Muriel Lindelwa Maya

Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa

​Chief Justice Mandisa Muriel Lindelwa Maya, appointed in September 2024 as South Africa’s first female Chief Justice, is a trailblazer for gender equality in the judiciary. With an LLM from Duke University, she has served at all levels of the judiciary, including as President of the Supreme Court of Appeal. A founding member and former president of the South African chapter of the International Association of Women Judges, Justice Maya has championed women’s rights and judicial transformation throughout her career. Her jurisprudence has advanced protections for women and marginalized groups, notably through her influential dissent in Minister of Safety and Security v F (2011), which was later upheld by the Constitutional Court. ​Justice Maya will be this Forum’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg Keynote Speaker.

William Neukom

Co-Founder & CEO, World Justice Project

William Neukom is Co-founder and CEO of the World Justice Project. A retired partner at K&L Gates, he served as Microsoft’s lead lawyer for 25 years managing its legal, government affairs, and philanthropic activities. He retired from Microsoft as its Executive Vice President of law and corporate affairs in 2002. He is former President of the American Bar Association (2007–2008), receiving the ABA Medal in 2020. He was CEO of the San Francisco Giants (2008–2011) and serves on several nonprofit boards. In 1995, he and his four children founded the Neukom Family Foundation, which supports not-for-profit organizations in the fields of education, environment, human services, justice, and public health.

Habiba Osman

CEO/Executive Secretary, Malawi Human Rights Commission

Habiba Osman is a well-versed professional in human rights and gender. Currently, Habiba is leading the Malawi Human Rights Commission in the capacity of CEO/Executive Secretary, a Constitutional Body, that is mandated to promote and investigate human rights violations in Malawi. Also famously known for her Award for a Global Freedom Exchange Fellowship for her work in sex trafficking by Vital Voices, Heineken and Hilton Hotels USA.

Clare Ovey

Director of Human Rights, Council of Europe

Clare Ovey became Director of Human Rights on 1 August 2024. A London native, she studied law at Cambridge University and qualified as a solicitor in England, specializing in criminal law. She worked on law reform at the Law Commission before joining the European Court of Human Rights in 1995. In 2015, she began working on the execution of the Court’s judgments, first with the Secretariat of the Committee of Ministers and then as Head of the Department for the Execution of Judgments from 2020. Ovey is widely recognized for her expertise on the European Convention system and is co-author of a leading textbook on the subject.

Flávia Pellegrino

Executive Director, Pacto Pela Democracia

Flávia Pellegrino is the executive director of Pacto pela Democracia, a broad and cross-ideological coalition that orchestrates the pro-democracy ecosystem in Brazil in order to counter authoritarian threats, defend the Democratic Rule of Law, and revitalize the democratic environment in the country. Over the past decade, Flávia has built and coordinated networks focused on democracy and human rights. She holds a degree in journalism and a master’s degree in political science. Pellegrino has become a key figure within the Brazilian pro-democracy movement, and, internationally, she’s been engaged in different initiatives aimed at strengthening transnational cooperation on promoting democratic values, practices and strategies to counter the current autocratization phenomenon worldwide.

Srirak Plipat

Regional Director for Asia Pacific

Srirak Plipat is the World Justice Project’s Asia Pacific Regional Director, where he leads initiatives to advance the rule of law through partnerships, knowledge-sharing, and platforms for action. He has 20+ years’ experience in international law, governance, and human rights. He previously served as Executive Director of Freemuse, and as Asia Pacific Director at Transparency International, where he led anti-corruption research and advocacy. At Amnesty International, he directed global movement building and regional operations. Dr. Plipat also worked with the World Bank Institute and holds a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh.

Alejandro Ponce

Executive Director, World Justice Project

Dr. Alejandro Ponce is Executive Director of the World Justice Project, where he leads global efforts to advance the rule of law through research and strategic initiatives. As Chief Research Officer (2012–2025), he developed the WJP Rule of Law Index and key data products, including justice diagnostics, environmental indicators, and the global justice gap study. He also led WJP’s expansion in Mexico and the EU. A former economist at the World Bank and researcher at Yale, his work on behavioral economics, financial inclusion, and justice has been published in top journals. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.

Ketakandriana Rafitoson

Vice-Chair, Transparency International

Dr. Ketakandriana Rafitoson is a Malagasy anticorruption and pro-democracy activist and independent researcher. She is current Vice-Chair of Transparency International and served as the Executive Director of TI Madagascar from 2018 to 2024. She is also a member of the International Board of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) and sits within the Advisory Board of the African Women Against Corruption Network (AWACN). Moreover, Dr. Rafitoson co-founded several social movements in Madagascar and was appointed as Publish What You Pay’s global Executive Director in July 2024 – fighting for a better governance of extractive industries in 60+ countries. Dr. Rafitoson holds a PhD in Political Science, and a second one in Sociology Applied to Development. She is lecturing on local democracy and citizens’ engagement at the Catholic University of Madagascar.

Sirpa Rautio

Director, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

Sirpa Rautio is Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), a role she assumed in March 2024. Previously, she was the founding Director of the Finnish Human Rights Centre (2012–2024) and chaired the European Network of Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) from 2022 to 2024. She has over 20 years of international experience with organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, OSCE, Council of Europe, and the EU, working in both field and leadership roles. Rautio also served on FRA’s Management Board (2015–2020), including as Chair. She has extensive experience working in post-conflict settings and countries in transition. A lawyer by training, she graduated from the University of Turku, Finland.

Maria A. Ressa

2021 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Co-founder and CEO, Rappler

Maria Ressa is the co-founder and CEO of Rappler and a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, honored for defending freedom of expression. With nearly 40 years of journalism experience in Asia, she has faced political persecution under the Duterte regime. She is a Professor of Practice at Columbia University and co-leads its Technology Initiative. Maria previously led ABS-CBN’s news division and served as CNN’s bureau chief in Manila and Jakarta. She has received global recognition, including Time’s Person of the Year (2018), 100 Most Influential People (2019), and BBC’s 100 Women. Her books include Seeds of Terror, From Bin Laden to Facebook, and How to Stand up to a Dictator.

Phiset Sa-Ardyen

Executive Director, Thailand Institute of Justice

Dr. Phiset Sa-Ardyen is the Executive Director of the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), where he leads efforts to strengthen the rule of law and justice system through a people-centered, evidence-based approach. He also promotes implementation of the UN Bangkok Rules in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Previously, he served as TIJ’s Director of External Relations and held key positions at Thailand’s Ministry of Justice, including Director of the ICT Center, leading digital transformation and cybersecurity initiatives. He holds degrees in Bioengineering, Chemistry, Law, and Translation from institutions in Japan, the U.S., and Thailand

Margaret Satterthwaite

UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers

Margaret Satterthwaite was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers in October 2022. She is a Professor of Clinical Law at NYU School of Law, where she directs the Global Justice Clinic and co-directs the Bernstein Institute and the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice. Her work focuses on access to justice, legal empowerment, and human rights innovation. She has worked globally with communities and litigated in international forums. A graduate of NYU School of Law, She clerked for a US Court of Appeals judge and subsequently for judges of the International Court of Justice, and held roles with Amnesty International USA, WHO, the World Bank. She has been a member of the boards of directors of several human rights organizations.

Amrit Singh

Professor & founding Executive Director of the Rule of Law Impact Lab, Stanford Law School

Amrit Singh is Professor of the Practice of Law and founding Executive Director of the Rule of Law Impact Lab at Stanford Law School, which studies and deploys legal tools to defend democracy and the rule of law worldwide. A human rights lawyer, as well as an expert on democracy and the rule of law, she has litigated landmark cases in US courts, as well as before the European Court of Human Rights and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. She is a frequent commentator in the U.S. and international press. She is a graduate of the Yale Law School, Oxford University, and Cambridge University.

Karam Jeet Singh

Deputy Director, Integrity Initiatives International (III)

Karam Singh has 25 years of experience in anti-corruption, human rights, and law reform. He is the Deputy Director of Integrity Initiatives International (III), which advocates for creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACCourt). Prior to joining III, Karam served as Executive Director of Corruption Watch, South Africa’s leading anti-corruption NGO. His career has also included key roles in the South African government’s Special Investigating Unit and the South African Human Rights Commission. Karam is an admitted attorney in both the U.S. and South Africa, with degrees from Brown University, Georgetown, University of Cape Town, and the University of Pretoria.

Panupun Som-skul

Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, NHRC Thailand

Panupun Som-skul is the Director of the Human Rights Situation Monitoring and Evaluation Bureau at the Office of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand. With over 20 years of experience in human rights, public health and legal analysis, he leads national efforts to monitor and evaluate human rights situations, conduct investigations and prepare Thailand’s annual Human Rights Assessment Report. His areas of expertise include community rights, environmental justice and the rights of vulnerable groups. Panupun holds degrees in Occupational Health and Safety and Law, and is a Royal Thai Government Scholar.

Christopher Stephens

Senior Vice President & General Counsel World Bank Group

Christopher Stephens is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank Group, overseeing the Legal Vice Presidency and advising on legal aspects of operations, development finance, anti-corruption, corporate governance, and risk. He serves as principal legal advisor to the Board of Governors, Executive Directors, and senior management. Previously, he was General Counsel of IFC (2019–2022), General Counsel of ADB, and a Managing Partner at Orrick. He leads with a focus on innovation, efficiency, and impactful legal support to advance the World Bank Group’s mission.

Clare Tan

Deputy Director, Corporate Communications, CPIB

Clare is Deputy Director of Corporate Communications at the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), overseeing prevention, engagement, and communications. With 30 years in public service, she joined CPIB in 2011 after roles in health, police, and immigration agencies. Clare has led impactful campaigns, including anti-corruption videos in cinemas, creative competitions, exhibitions, and social media via CPIB’s persona Kopi Lim. She helped launch Singapore’s ISO 37001 and ACPN, strengthening business integrity. She also led projects like the docudrama Abyss of Greed and CPIB’s history book Scrupulous, Thorough, Fearless. Clare has managed high-profile media cases and received the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2023.

Mehmet Tank

Former Judge, Republic of Türkiye

Mehmet Tank, a former representative of the Judges Association (YARSAV), is known for his strong advocacy for the rule of law and judicial independence. His credible reporting and principled cooperation with the international judicial organizations played a crucial role in mobilizing global solidarity for Turkish judges and prosecutors targeted during the regime change in 2016. Thus, he was suspended, dismissed, and imprisoned for over five years, along with 5.000 judges and prosecutors. Now in exile in Switzerland, he holds a Ph.D. from Istanbul Law School and completed a sabbatical at Penn State Dickinson Law. He plans to work as an international arbitrator.

Thierry Wickers

President, Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe

Thierry Wickers, President of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), has been a distinguished lawyer since 1978. He has held numerous leadership roles, including Bâtonnier of the Bordeaux Bar (2000-2001), President of the Conference of Batonniers (2004-2005), and President of the National Council of Bars (2009-2011). A co-author of Rules and Uses of the Lawyer Profession, the definitive reference on legal ethics in France, he has been deeply engaged in shaping the legal profession. Since joining the CCBE in 2012, he has led the French delegation and chaired the «Future of the Profession and Legal Services» committee (2016-2022), contributing to key initiatives on Brexit, governance reforms, and quality standards in legal practice.

Dorota Zabłudowska

Judge, District Court Gdańsk-Południe

Dorota Zabłudowska is a judge at the District Court Gdańsk-Południe, serving in the criminal department since 2002. She is Vice-President and spokesperson of the Gdańsk branch of the Polish Judges Association Iustitia. Committed to defending judicial independence and citizens’ rights, she received the Gdańsk Equality Award in 2019 for protecting the right to an independent court. She actively promotes the role of the judiciary in upholding democratic values, using the Polish experience to engage with judges worldwide on the importance of judicial resistance and the protection of the rule of law. She has delivered lectures to judges in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Central America.

Nadia B. Ahmad

Law Professor, Barry University

Nadia B. Ahmad is a law professor at Barry University and Co-Chair of the ABA’s Environmental Justice Task Force. She teaches environmental, energy, and property law and works at the intersection of law, climate resilience, and technology. Currently a Ph.D. candidate at Yale School of the Environment, her research focuses on operationalizing AI, GIS, and topological meta-stability for disaster preparedness. Her dissertation, grounded in case studies like Hurricane Ian, develops a novel Hurricane Resilience Intelligence framework to address inland flooding and equity in climate adaptation. She is also the founder of Mudder AI, a startup advancing AI-driven solutions for emergency response and multi-hazard resilience.

Carolien van Ham

Professor of Empirical Political Science, Radboud University Nijmegen

Carolien van Ham is Professor of Empirical Political Science at Radboud University Nijmegen. Her research focuses on legitimacy and political representation, democratization and authoritarianism, electoral integrity and fraud, and the connection between democracy and human rights. She is also a research associate at the Australian Human Rights Institute at UNSW Sydney, a senior research fellow at the Electoral Integrity Project at Sydney and Harvard University, and a research associate at the Varieties of Democracy Institute at the University of Gothenburg. She previously worked as a (Senior) Lecturer at the University of New South Wales, as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Twente, and as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Gothenburg.

Urška Umek

Head, Democratic Institutions and Civil Society Division, Council of Europe

Urška Umek is Head of the Democratic Institutions and Civil Society Division at the Council of Europe. Prior to this, she was responsible for policy development in the field of freedom of expression and media freedom in the Council of Europe’s Information Society Department. Urška previously worked as a lawyer at the Registry of the European Court of Human Rights (2012 – 2016) and as a lawyer-linguist at the Court of Justice of the European Union (2008), having started her career as a legal advisor at the Constitutional Court of Slovenia, where she also headed the Research and International Cooperation Department. She contributed, among others, to the commentary on the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia.

Søren Stauning

Special Advisor, Election Unit, Ministry of the Interior and Health

Søren Stauning is a special advisor at the Election Unit within the Ministry of the Interior and Health of Denmark. Holding this position for the past 10+ years, he has been working to harness democratic resilience and transparency throughout the democratic infrastructure. A political science graduate, he represents Denmark in the Council of Europe Steering Committee on Democracy (CDDEM) and the EU Election Cooperation Network on Elections (ECNE) as well as in central government election readiness fora. He has presented at international conferences on reforming and strengthening mature democracies and is the contact person for research on turnout and democratic resilience.

Marcin Mrowicki

Deputy Head, Criminal Law Department, Ministry of Justice

Marcin Mrowicki is a human rights lawyer. Currently, he works in the Ministry of Justice as Deputy Head of Criminal Law Department and Secretary of the Interministerial Team for Restoration of Rule of Law and Constitutional Order. He is also Assistant Professor at the University of Warsaw (Centre for Europe) where he teaches human rights and EU constitutional law. He is a re:constitution fellow and specializes in rule of law and EU law and proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights. He is the author of many academic and science publications.

Sumit Bisarya

Head, Constitution-Building and Rule of Law Programme, International IDEA

Sumit Bisarya heads International IDEA’s Constitution-Building and Rule of Law Programme, which produces global comparative knowledge, conducts policy advocacy within the field of constitution-building and provides technical support to in-country constitution reform programmes. In 2020-2021, Bisarya was seconded to the UN as the senior constitutions advisor for the Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Prior to joining International IDEA, he worked with the International Development Law Organization where he was manager of field programmes. He designed, managed and implemented rule of law assistance programmes in Afghanistan and East/Horn of Africa, including designing and establishing institutions for Violence Against Women, Legal Aid and Legal and Judicial Training.

Christian Aldenhoff

Senior Policy Advisor, German Federal Ministry of the Interior

Christian Aldenhoff serves as a Senior Policy Advisor in the division for Resilient Democracy and Prevention of Extremism of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior. His expertise includes policies on strengthening democracy and combating democratic backsliding nationally and internationally. He is a member of the German delegation for the Steering Committee on Democracy (CDDEM) of the Council of Europe. He is fully qualified as a lawyer (1st and 2nd legal state exam). In addition, he holds a LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law and a B.A. in Philosophy. Before joining the ministry as a civil servant, he worked as a lawyer.

Tawee Sodsong

Minister of Justice of Thailand

Joanna Szymanska

Head of Programmes and Strategy for Europe, Article 19

Human rights advocate with a focus on freedom of expression, media freedom, and digital rights. She is also an experienced project coordinator, human rights trainer and researcher working across Europe and Central Asia.

Jonathan Day

Advocacy Officer, Liberties

Jonathan works on the Liberties advocacy team, having previously worked on the communications team and leading the video advocacy program. Before joining Liberties in 2017, he worked in Budapest with the European Liberties Platform, interned with the Mexican chapter of Transparency International, and did video production work in the United States. He holds a Master of Public Policy from Central European University and a BA in political science from Trinity College.

Oliver Money-Kyrle

Media Development Expert and Press Freedom Advocate, IPI

Oliver Money-Kyrle is a media development expert and press freedom activist with over twenty years’ experience defending the rights of journalists in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Turkey. He joined IPI in September 2019 to head up the #FreeTurkeyJournalists campaign. Prior to that he was the Director of Projects with the International Federation of Journalists managing their global programmes and campaigns on journalists’ rights. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Bristol and a Graduate Certificate in Project Management from Boston University Brussels.

Flutura Kusari

Head of Legal Support, ECPMF

Flutura leads ECPMF’s legal support programme which has supported hundreds of media workers across Europe. She also advocates with international organisations to improve legislation to defend freedom of expression. During the last decade, she has been engaged in building capacities of judges, prosecutors, police officers, and lawyers on freedom of expression across the Western Balkans. In addition, she advises journalists on pre- and post- publication legal matters such as defamation, access to information, contempt of court, and privacy. Flutura co-leads the Anti-SLAPP work at the European level as part of the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) and as an expert for the European Union and Council of Europe. She holds a PhD in Media Law from Ghent University, Belgium.

Serena Epis

Researcher and Advocacy Officer, OBC Transeuropa

Serena Epis holds a master’s degree in European and International Studies from the University of Trento. She joined OBC Transeuropa in June 2021 as a researcher and advocacy officer. Her work has focused on research, training, advocacy, and project management in areas such as media freedom, the rule of law, civic engagement, and the EU’s enlargement toward the Western Balkans.

Luisa Chiodi

Director, Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa

Luisa Chiodi has been the director of Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa since 2006. She holds a PhD in Social and Political Science from the European University Institute of Fiesole (Florence) and a degree in Political Science from the University of Milan. From 2003 to 2008 she was lecturer for the chair of ‘Eastern European studies’ at the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Bologna. She coordinated several research projects and is author of publications on civil society and transnational social dynamics.

Tatyana Teplova

Head of Division and Senior Counsellor, Public Governance Directorate, OECD

Tatyana has over 20 years of experience in governance, rule of law, justice, integrity, gender equality, and public sector reform. She joined the OECD in 2010 and is currently Head of Division and Senior Counsellor in the Public Governance Directorate. She leads OECD’s work on justice, rule of law, gender equality, and inclusion, developing international standards, advising governments, and managing multi-country projects. Her work spans OECD countries, MENA, Eurasia, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Tatyana began her career as a Senior Analyst in Canadian public administration and has taught at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. She holds a Doctorate in Public Policy from Carleton University and a postgraduate diploma in Strategy and Innovation from Oxford.

Marta Kożuchowska-Warywoda

Director, Dept. of HR and Organisation, Common and Military Courts, Ministry of Justice of Poland

Rebecca Sanderfur

Professor and Director, Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics

Rebecca L. Sandefur is Professor in and Director of the Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics and Professor (by courtesy) in the Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law at Arizona State University. In addition to her appointment at ASU, Sandefur is Faculty Fellow at the American Bar Foundation, where she founded and leads the Access to Justice Research Initiative. In 2018, she was named a MacArthur Fellow for her work on inequality and access to justice. Sandefur was born in and spent her early years in Oklahoma and is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation

Maaike de Langen

Senior Policy Advisor, OECD

Maaike de Langen is a Senior Policy Advisor at the OECD, leading initiatives on justice and rule of law and supporting governments to build people-centred justice systems. She is a Visiting Scholar at Arizona State University’s Justice Futures project and a Senior Fellow at NYU’s Center on International Cooperation. Her career began with socio-legal research in Mali and governance work with UNDP in Chad and New York, contributing to the Legal Empowerment of the Poor report. As a senior civil servant, she founded and led the Department for Strategy and Policy of the Dutch National Ombudsman. At NYU, she directed the Pathfinders for Justice Program, co-led the Justice for All report, and helped launch the Justice Action Coalition, Ibero-American Justice Alliance, and Young Justice Leaders.

Revai Makanje Aalbaek

Global Lead, Rule of Law Justice and Security, UNDP

Revai Makanje Aalbaek is the Global Lead for Rule of Law Justice and Security for UNDP. She has served in various capacities, including as UN Women Acting Country Representative for Zimbabwe, Deputy Country Representative UN Women Papua New Guinea, Team Leader Governance and Gender equality with UNDP Zimbabwe and UNDP Team Leader for Effective Governance for the Pacific Region based in Fiji. Revai started her career with Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association, a civil society organization working on legal empowerment, access to justice and human rights protection for marginalized groups. She has worked extensively in Africa and the Pacific. She holds an LLM in Human Rights from the University of Pretoria, South Africa and a Masters in Women’s Law from the University of Zimbabwe.

Florencia Abed Dickson

Co-director, Asociación Civil por la Igualdad y la Justicia (ACIJ)

Florencia Abed Dickson is co-director of the Argentine NGO Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ), supervising issues related to inclusivity, accessibility, and democracy in urban spaces and access to justice. Before joining ACIJ, Florencia worked for more than seven years in the public sector in Argentina, particularly in social and urban integration issues, where she contributed to the implementation of land regularization processes in marginalized neighborhoods. Florencia is a lawyer from the University of Buenos Aires and has a master’s in public policy from the University Torcuato Di Tella, in Buenos Aires.

Marco Fandiño

General Coordinator, Conference of Ministers of Justice of Ibero-American Countries

Marco Fandiño is the General Coordinator of the Conference of Ministers of Justice of Ibero-American Countries (COMJIB). Previously, he worked as an international civil servant at the Justice Studies Center of the Americas (CEJA), supporting judicial reform processes in Latin America. He also served as the head of the Cooperation and International Affairs Unit and the head of the Studies Unit of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of Chile. He has been a consultant for UNDP, OSF, UNODC, the Public Criminal Defense Office of Chile, the Ministry of the Interior of Uruguay, and the Prosecutor’s Office of Guatemala. Marco is a lawyer from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain and has a master’s degree in governance and human rights from the Autonomous University of Madrid.

Maria Fernanda Rodriguez 

Senior Fellow NYU’s Center; Lead, Technical Secretariat, Iberoamerican Alliance on Access to Justice

María Fernanda Rodríguez is a Senior Fellow at NYU’s Center on International Cooperation and Lead of the Technical Secretariat of the Iberoamerican Alliance on Access to Justice. She is also advisor to the Council of the National Magistracy in Argentina, and specialized consultant in human trafficking for the IOM. Previously, María Fernanda served as Vice-Minister of Justice of Argentina and Under-Secretary-General for Access to Justice. She was also Sherpa and co-chair of the Pathfinders Task Force on Justice, working on the drafting of the Justice for All report. María Fernanda is a lawyer from the University of Buenos Aires and has a Diploma in Human Rights of the American University Washington College of Law.

Akingbolahan Adeniran

Program Director, Project Expedite Justice; Lead, Technical Secretariat, African Alliance for People-Centered Justice

Akingbolahan Adeniran is an SDG16 consultant and serves as Lead of the Technical Secretariat of the African Alliance for People-Centered Justice, and Program Director at Project Expedite Justice. He previously served as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Ogun state in Nigeria and as Team Leader for the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. Before this, he was Rule of Law Advisor to the Vice-President of Nigeria, a Special Senior Assistant to the Governor of Lagos State, as well as a trial lawyer at the International Criminal Court. He holds an LLB. from the University of Lagos and an LLM. from Harvard Law School.

Hon. Alpha Sesay

Attorney General & Minister of Justice, Sierra Leone

Alpha Sesay is the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Sierra Leone. Before his appointment, he served as the Deputy Minister of Justice for Sierra Leone. He holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Notre Dame and an LLB from the University of Sierra Leone. Before joining the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Sesay served as the Senior Democracy, Rights, and Governance Advisor for USAID in Sierra Leone. He also held the position of Senior Advocacy Officer at the Open Society Justice Initiative in Washington, DC. He has worked with Institutions such as the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the International Criminal Court, and regional human rights bodies, including the ECOWAS Court, the African Commission, and the Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Themba Mahleka

Senior Program Officer, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies

Themba Mahleka is a Senior Program Officer for the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies. He has over ten years’ experience in areas such as transparency, accountability, governance, access to justice, legal tech and innovation. He has worked in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the US. Before joining Pathfinders, Themba worked at Transparency International Zimbabwe (TI Z) as the Senior Legal Officer, heading the policy and legislation unit there, and for the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) first as an Innovating Justice Agent, and then as the Co-Head of the HiiL Innovation Hub, Southern Africa. Themba holds an LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Corporate Governance from the University of Johannesburg.

Laura Ospina

Senior Program Officer, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies

Laura Ospina is a Senior Program Officer for the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies. Laura has supported a series of development projects (with USAID, UNDP, INL, SIDA, GIZ) as well policy design and implementation initiatives in Colombia, Rwanda, Guatemala, Ghana, and Moldova, on strengthening formal and community justice initiatives, capacity building of public sector officials to provide more effective, efficient, people and gender-oriented justice services, as well as supporting local capacities and empowerment of armed conflict victims. Laura is a lawyer from Los Andes University in Colombia, has an LLM in International Human Rights Law and Criminal Justice from Universiteit Utrecht in the Netherlands, and an MSc in International Development from Tulane University.

Margaret (Meg) Satterthwaite

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers

Margaret (Meg) Satterthwaite is an international human rights scholar, practitioner, and advocate. She is a Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, where she directs the Legal Empowerment and Judicial Independence Clinic and serves as a faculty director of the Robert and Helen Bernstein Institute for Human Rights and co-director of the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice. In 2022, the UN Human Rights Council appointed her as the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.

Waringa Wahome

Coordinator, Legal Empowerment Hub, Mathare Social Justice Centre

Waringa Wahome, is a lawyer and community organiser from Mathare Social Justice Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Her work is rooted in legal empowerment – building people’s agency through social justice movement building. She coordinates the Legal Empowerment Hub (LEH), a space that connects social justice lawyers, community paralegals, and grassroots organisers and activists into a network advancing community-led legal strategies. Waringa believes that the law is a political tool – shaped by power, and should be available to those who organise to reclaim it, pushing for a justice system that reflects the struggles and dignity of the people.

Pratiwi Febry

Co-Chair, Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation

Since graduating from law school in 2009, Pratiwi has worked in the Jakarta branch of the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI, Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia) as a human rights and public interest attorney. She works on human rights cases, focusing on gross human rights violations, labor rights, and the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups, as well as policy advocacy. In 2022, she was appointed as a co-chair of YLBHI, where she focuses on organizational development and research. YLBHI was founded in 1970 as one of the first legal aid organizations during Soeharto’s authoritarian regime. To improve democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, YLBHI continues to provide structural legal aid services today. Legal empowerment has always been a key aspect of YLBHI’s work.

Sheila Formento

National Coordinator, Alternative Law Groups

Sheila Formento is the National Coordinator of the Alternative Law Groups (ALG), a coalition of twenty legal resource NGOs in the Philippines that adhere to the principles and values of alternative or developmental law. She is a human rights and child rights advocate, a community organizer, and a lawyer. Prior to joining ALG, she served as National Training Officer for the Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT). Over her 20 years of experience, Sheila has immersed herself in the struggles of several marginalized sectors such as fisherfolk, women, urban poor communities, and children. She holds a Bachelors’ Degree in Community Development from the University of the Philippines and Bachelor of Laws from Arellano University School of Law. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2018.

Vivek Maru

Co-Founder and CEO, Namati; Co-Convenor, Grassroots Justice Network

Vivek Maru is co-founder and CEO of Namati, which advances social and environmental justice by combining the power of law with the power of people. Namati works with partners deeply in six countries, from Myanmar to the United States, and co-convenes the Grassroots Justice Network, a community of 3000+ justice organizations from over 170 countries. Vivek is co-author of Community Paralegals and the Pursuit of Justice. His TED talk, “How to Put the Power of Law in People’s Hands,” has been viewed over a million times.

Leah Guyot

Program Associate, Justice for All, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just Societies

Léah Guyot is a Program Associate in the Justice for All team at Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Societies, hosted by the NYU Center for International Cooperation. She leads the Young Justice Leaders program, supporting the next generation of justice advocates, and provides strategic support to the Secretariat of the Justice Action Coalition. Her work focuses in particular on improving access to justice for women. Prior to joining CIC, Léah worked as a research consultant on issues including displacement, conflict, and disarmament. She holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from The New School.

Patricia Peace Ejang

Lawyer and Legal Tech Founder

Patricia Peace Ejang is a feminist, writer, activist, and lawyer. An alumna of the Young African Leaders Initiative, she has contributed to access-to-justice projects on gender equality, SRHR, and youth issues through research and advocacy. She interned with the Refugee Law Project to support justice for refugees and host communities. She is an editor at Poetic Africa magazine and has volunteered with the Youth for Tax Justice Network and Women with a Mission. As CEO and co-founder of LawBot Africa, an AI-powered legal tech platform, she works to expand legal access. Patricia is also a Young Justice Leaders at Pathfinders from Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies.

Kathryn Grace Hulseman

Senior Research Associate, World Justice Project

Grace Hulseman is passionate about advancing sustainable development, social justice, and human rights. As a Senior Research Associate at the World Justice Project, she supports global research on people-centered justice. Her previous work includes roles with the World Bank, Fundación Paraguaya, and the Center for American Progress. She also served in Belize with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, supporting housing access. Grace holds a Master’s in Global Human Development from Georgetown and a BA from Fordham University. Grace is also a Young Justice Leaders at Pathfinders from Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies.

Giuliano Borter

Public Policy Professional and SDG Advocate

Giuliano Borter is a dynamic public policy professional and SDG advocate with experience across the public sector and international NGOs. His work centers on human-centric, impactful policy, diplomacy, and collaboration with international organizations on security, international law, and emerging tech. With a holistic and interdisciplinary approach, he brings innovation, strategic communication, and strong stakeholder management to his work. Giuliano is also a Young Justice Leaders at Pathfinders from Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies.

Anna Korzeniewska

Founder & CEO, Social Impact Alliance for CEE

Founder and CEO of the Social Impact Alliance for Central and Eastern Europe and the Scholarship Fund for the Talented. The first Polish woman to earn a Professional Certificate in Fundraising from New York University, complemented by an Executive MBA. Jury member in regional impact challenges, Forbes contributor, and Global Philanthropy Fellow. A strategic thought partner for global and regional stakeholders, with a deep understanding of the region’s context, actors, and solutions. Anna promotes social responsibility as an integral part of personal and business decision-making.

Eva Langbehn

Human Rights Lawyer

Eva Langbehn, a human rights lawyer and public policy specialist, is committed to advancing justice for marginalized groups, especially women and children in Argentina. With a background in law and ongoing studies in public policy, she focuses on holistic, evidence-based solutions. Her experience includes legislative drafting, research, and work with international organizations addressing systemic injustices. Recently, she has concentrated on the secondary victimization of children and adolescents in the justice system. Eva is also a Young Justice Leaders at Pathfinders from Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies.

Anoushka Sinha

Social Entrepreneur and Activist

Anoushka Sinha, a social entrepreneur and human rights activist, has advocated for gender and education equality since age 10, reaching one million people through advocacy, radio, and grassroots SDG initiatives. She began with local NGO campaigns, led her own organization, and became India’s youngest radio jockey at 12. A former UNEP regional ambassador, she has held roles with UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited and UNESCO’s SDG4 YSN. She works with the ONE Campaign, Plan International, and the UN Foundation. A Diana Award recipient, she’s been honored by UN Women, GirlUp, and others. Anoushka is also a Young Justice Leaders at Pathfinders from Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies.

Abbas Luyombo

Lawyer and Young Justice Leader

Abbas Luyombo, a 27-year-old Ugandan lawyer with visual impairment, is a Young Justice Leader passionate about climate justice, human rights, and gender equality. With an LLB from Makerere University, he is committed to legal research, policy advocacy, and supporting vulnerable communities. Certified in Law and Development and Leadership (A4ID UK, Oxford), he advocates for internet freedom and responsible business. He has served as a Clinical Fellow at Makerere’s Public Interest Law Clinic, coordinated pro bono justice at DLA Piper Africa, and supported diversity at UNILEVER Kenya. His volunteer work with NETPIL and Makerere’s Disability Law Centre reflects his commitment to inclusion.

Márta Pardavi

Сo-Chair, Hungarian Helsinki Committee; Co-Lead, RARE Programme

Márta Pardavi is co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a leading human rights NGO based in Budapest. She focuses on the threats to the rule of law and civil society in Hungary and in the EU. She co-leads the Recharging Advocacy for Rights in Europe (RARE) programme, supporting human rights defenders to build stronger organisations and alliances for action on civic space and rule of law in the EU. Márta holds a law degree from ELTE Law School and an Executive Master of Public Administration from the Hertie School. She is a receipient of several international human rights awards, is a member of the Council of Europe’s Expert Council on NGO Law, and serves on a number of international NGO boards.

Maria Skóra

Policy Fellow, Das Progressive Zentrum; Research Fellow, IEP Berlin

Maria Skóra is an advisor on democracy and European politics with a transatlantic spin. Her expertise focuses on populism, democracy and (re)democratization, elections, political parties, and policy analysis. She offers advice on Germany, Poland, European politics and policies, and transatlantic relations. Today based in Berlin, with previous stops in Warsaw, Washington DC, and frequent visits to Brussels, she is a non-resident Research Fellow at the Institut für Europäische Politik, a Policy Fellow at Das Progressive Zentrum, and a re:constitution Fellow.

Laurent Pech

Dean and Professor of Law, Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin

Laurent Pech is Full Professor of Law, Dean of Law and Head of the Sutherland School of Law at University College Dublin. He is also a Visiting Professor of Law at Bordeaux University and Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas; the Clinical Co-Director of the CEU Rule of Law Clinic in Budapest; and the Co-Director of The Good Lobby Profs which he co-founded in 2021.

Krzysztof Izdebski

Board Member and Director for Advocacy, Stefan Batory Foundation

Krzysztof Izdebski. Legal and policy expert. Member of the Board and Director for Advocacy and Development at the Stefan Batory Foundation. Marshall Memorial and Recharging Advocacy for Rights in Europe (RARE) Fellow. Member of the OECD Innovative Citizen Participation Network. He is a lawyer specialized in the rule of law, access to public information, and relations between technology and democracies.

John Morijn

Professor of Law and Politics, University of Groningen; Fellow, Hertie School

John Morijn is Endowed Professor of Law and Politics in International Relations at the University of Groningen and Henrik Enderlein Fellow at Hertie School Berlin. He is also a member (and former chair) of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency’s Scientific Committee and the Founding Mentor of the Our Rule of Law Foundation, a for-students-by-students democracy education project.

Helena Chmielewska-Szlajfer

Assistant Professor, Koźmiński University; Visiting Fellow, LSE

Dr hab. Helena Chmielewska-Szlajfer is an Assistant Professor at Koźmiński University and a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She received her PhD in Sociology from The New School for Social Research (2014). Author of “(Not) Kidding: Online Tabloid Politics» (Brill, 2024, Haymarket 2025), “Reshaping Poland’s Community after Communism: Ordinary Celebrations” (Palgrave, 2019), “Kazimierz Kelles-Krauz: Marxism and Sociology” (Warsaw University Press, 2014; Brill, 2018). Recipient of scholarships from the Minister of Science and Higher Education in Poland, the Kosciuszko Foundation and The New School. She studies everyday civic practices, news media and online politics, as well as news avoidance.

Anna Wójcik

Assistant Professor, Kozminski University

Anna Wójcik is a rule of law expert and co-founder of Rule of Law in Poland and the Wiktor Osiatyński Archive, published by the Foundation for Civic Monitoring OKO. She is an Assistant Professor at Kozminski University in Warsaw and the Principal Investigator in a National Science Centre, Poland project on EU media regulation and the rule of law (2024-2027). Prior to that, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law.