The Universal Rights Group's strategic direction is guided by the Board of Trustees. Meeting at least once a year, it can also contribute to, approve and amend the URG's biennial programme of work.
The Board is made up of eminent experts from the world of human rights including current and former Special Procedure mandate-holders, current and former members of treaty bodies, former foreign ministers, international judges, heads of human rights NGOs and leading academics.
The URG aims to achieve regional and gender balance in all its governing bodies and in its secretariat.
Members of the Board
Dr Ahmed Shaheed (Maldives)
Professor Paul Hunt (New Zealand, UK)
Ms Marta Maurás Pérez
(Chile)
Ms Yasmin Sooka (South Africa)
Ms Catarina de Albuquerque (Portugal)
Professor John Knox (US)
Professor Juan Mendez (Argentina)
Ms Yvette Stevens (Sierra Leone)
Professor Heiner Bielefeldt (Germany)
Professor Yanghee Lee (Republic of Korea)
Prof. Dr. Bertrand Ramcharan (Guyana)
Mr Mark Thomson
(Fiji, Switzerland, UK)
Former members of the Board
Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo (Ghana)
Ms. Asma Jahangir (Pakistan)
Professor Michael O’Flaherty (Ireland)
Dr Nazila Ghanea (Iran)
Professor Christof Heyns (South Africa)
