Meet the speakers
A | B | C | F | G | H | J | K | M | P | Q | R | S | V
A
Iris Abraham
Communications & Fundamental Rights Advisor, Cabinet of the European Commission Vice President for Democracy & Demography
Iris Abraham is a senior policy advisor, and political and conflict analyst with expertise in human rights and children’s rights. She serves as Fundamental Rights Advisor at the Cabinet of the Vice-President for Democracy and Demography at the European Commission. leading the work on the EU’s reinvigorated child rights agenda. Previously, she oversaw communications and advocacy for the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis.
With over two decades of experience in European and international affairs, Abraham has worked with the European Union, the United Nations, academia, government agencies, and international media. Her expertise spans UN peacekeeping, political affairs, post-conflict reconstruction, conflict and crisis management, electoral assistance, peacebuilding, migration, human rights, children’s rights and child protection, and gender issues. She has worked at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and worked three years with the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti. From 2012 to 2016, she served as Head of International Relations and Strategic Partnerships at Euronews.
She holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and studied at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Boston, USA.
Cécile Aptel
Deputy Director, UNICEF Innocenti
Cécile Aptel is the Deputy Director of UNICEF Innocenti - Global Office of Research and Foresight, and an expert in child and human rights, justice, and the governance of new technologies.
Her career spans humanitarian, human rights, justice, peace, and security. Before joining UNICEF, she served as the Deputy Director of UNIDIR; Director and acting Under-Secretary-General at the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent; and as senior advisor to the UN High Commissioners for Human Rights. She also directed the establishment of the UN-IIIM on Syria, founded the children and youth program at the International Center for Transitional Justice, led international investigations, and worked in the UN international tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
She holds a PhD in international law and teaches at the Fletcher School, Tufts University, Harvard, and the Geneva Academy. She has authored over 30 publications, including her recent book, Atrocity Crimes, Children and International Criminal Courts: Killing Childhood.
B
Allyson Bachta
Senior Researcher, Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack
Allyson Bachta is the Senior Researcher for the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack. She is completing her PhD in Global Governance and Human Security at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She holds an M.S. in Global and International Education from Drexel University and an M.Ed. in Science Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
With a strong background in social science research and more than 18 years of experience in K-12 education, she also brings extensive experience in leading organizational change initiatives, facilitating peer learning communities, and designing both in-person and virtual training opportunities.
In her previous role at Essential Partners, she facilitated dialogues on various topics and provided technical consulting to institutions, focusing on strategic planning and stakeholder engagement.
Bertrand Bainvel
UNICEF Representative to the European Union Institutions
Bertrand Bainvel is the UNICEF Representative to the European Union Institutions and the Director of the UNICEF Partnerships Office in Brussels since 13 February 2023.
Previously, he was the Deputy Regional Director and the Acting Regional Director for UNICEF Middle East and North Africa. Before his role in the MENA region, he served as UNICEF Representative in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. He served as UNICEF Head of the Partnership Office in Moscow, Representative to the Russian Federation, and UNICEF Representative in Jamaica. Other postings held by Bainvel were Deputy to the UNICEF Special Representative in Jerusalem, State of Palestine, Programme Officer with the UNICEF Health Section in New York, USA, and assignments in Albania and Mongolia.
He holds a master’s degree in Business Administration (Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, Paris, France) and a master’s degree in Public Administration (Harvard University, Cambridge, USA).
C
Geert Cappelaere
Children's rights expert
Geert Cappelaere retired in April 2023, marking the culmination of 38 years of global efforts dedicated to making children and children’s rights a primary consideration. He joined UNICEF in 1999, serving in various roles across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Most recently, he led the development of UNICEF’s strategy to deepen its engagement within Europe, collaborating with all UNICEF divisions and the network of National Committees active across the continent. He was also UNICEF’s Representative to the EU Institutions and Director of the Partnership Office in Brussels.
From 2016 to October 2019, he served as UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. His other roles at UNICEF included Representative in Sudan (2012–2016), Yemen (2009–2012), and Sierra Leone (2005–2009). He also held senior advisory roles, such as Senior Advisor for Child Protection at UNICEF Headquarters in New York (1999–2000), Senior Advisor for the Central and Eastern European Regional Office (2000–2002), and UNICEF's first Regional Child Protection Advisor for the Middle East and North Africa (2002–2005).
Prior to joining UNICEF, Geert Cappelaere chaired the Belgian Royal Commission on Child Abuse and Exploitation and was affiliated with the University of Gent. He is the author of several internationally acclaimed publications, including Children Deprived of Their Liberty: Rights and Realities.
He has actively contributed to drafting numerous international legal instruments related to child protection and children’s rights. Today, he remains a highly sought-after advisor to governments and civil society organizations worldwide in these areas.
James Cox
Head of Education, Policy & Advocacy, Save the Children International
James Cox, Save the Children’s Global Head of Education Policy & Advocacy, leads the organization’s global education policy and advocacy across its network of 113 countries.
With over a decade of expertise in advocacy, policy, and communications, he is committed to advancing the right to quality, safe, and inclusive education for every child.
His accomplishments include leading the civil society coalition that campaigned for the establishment of Education Cannot Wait, mobilizing the education sector behind the #BringBackOurGirls movement, and driving resource mobilization efforts that have secured hundreds of millions of dollars for Education Cannot Wait, the Global Partnership for Education, and innovative financing mechanisms. He also supports Save the Children’s role within the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack.
F
Fatima and Halima
Youth Ambassadors Plan International
Co-Researchers Impact Climate Change on Adolescents
Aoife Fleming
Core Team Member, World's Youth for Climate Justice
Aoife Fleming is a co-founder of World’s Youth for Climate Justice, the global youth movement leading the historic Advisory Opinion on climate change from the International Court of Justice.
She works with the Dutch Co-Chairmanship of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action and serves on the Supervisory Board of Save the Children Netherlands.
G
Virginia Gamba
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
Professor Virginia Gamba was appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict at the Under-Secretary-General level in April 2017. She served most recently as Assistant Secretary General, Head of the Joint Investigative Mechanism Syria. She previously served as Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs and Director of the Office for Disarmament Affairs. Past engagements with the United Nations include serving as Director of the Disarmament and Conflict Resolution Programme at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva (1992-1996).
She has a long career in peace and security, human security, and disarmament issues. From 2007 to 2011, she served as Deputy Director and Senior Coordinator on Safety and Security at the Instituto Superior de Seguridad Publica, Ministry of Justice, Government of the Autonomous city of Buenos Aires. From 1996 to 2006, she was based in Africa serving inter-alia as peace and security consultant to the Africa Union, Deputy Director of the Institute for Security Studies in South Africa, and Director for South-South Interactions of Safer Africa. She was also the senior program officer for arms control, disarmament, and demobilization at the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation in Chicago (1991-1993).
Prior to this, she was an academic and a senior lecturer at the Latin American Security Studies, Department of War Studies, King’s College, London (1986-1991). Moreover, she also served as an advisor to the Argentine Ministry of Defense on Civil Military Relations and Transformation of the Military under Democracy (1983 -1985). She holds an MSc (Econ) in Strategic Studies, the University College of Wales, and a BA (Hons) in Spanish and Latin American Studies, the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
H
Petra Heusser
Executive Director, Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies
Petra Heusser has nearly two decades of experience in international humanitarian work focused on the protection and education of children, refugees, and migrants.
Since its establishment in late 2020, she has led the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies Secretariat, strategically guiding collective objectives.
Heusser previously worked with the UNICEF-led Global Child Protection Area of Responsibility and has extensive field experience across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, collaborating closely with governments, UN agencies, and civil society organizations.
Lindsey Hutchison
Head of Global Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy and Diplomacy Unit, Plan International
Lindsey Hutchison is Head of the Global Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy and Diplomacy Unit at Plan International. Hutchison works with Plan’s offices around the world, responding to armed conflict and humanitarian crises, and travels regularly to meet with affected communities.
She has worked with Plan International for nearly six years, including as Policy and Advocacy Advisor on Peace and Security focusing on children’s rights in armed conflict with the United Nations Security Council, and as Acting United Nations Representative and Head of Plan International’s New York UN Liaison Office. Her other work experience includes Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, Freedom House, and Human Rights Watch. She holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) from Georgetown University.
J
Leah James
Regional Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Specialist, UNICEF ECARO
Leah James is the Regional Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Specialist in the Child Protection section at the UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office, based in Budapest. She holds a PhD in Social Psychology and Social Work from the University of Michigan and is a licensed clinical social worker.
James has over 15 years of experience providing MHPSS technical support to international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and UN agencies in humanitarian and development contexts, including Ukraine, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Colombia, Nepal, and Haiti. Additionally, she holds a research associate appointment at the Institute of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado and has extensive experience conducting intervention research focused on MHPSS in emergency settings.
K
Akfer Karaoğlan Kahiloğulları
Mental Health Expert, World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Türkiye
Dr. Akfer Karaoğlan Kahiloğullari is a Professor of Psychiatry with over 20 years of experience in psychiatry and community mental health care. She currently serves as Project Manager for a WHO Country Office mental health project in Türkiye, focusing on the social inclusion of people with mental disabilities.
Dr. Kahiloğullari has led the mental health component of numerous initiatives and emergency responses, including support for refugee health (2017–2023), the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022), and earthquake response and recovery efforts (2023–2024).
Previously, she was Head of the Mental Health Department at the Ministry of Health of Türkiye, where she co-authored the country’s first national mental health action plan. In addition, she is a lecturer at Health Sciences University and has co-authored multiple publications on mental health and related topics.
Isabelle Kolebinov
Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, Child Rights International Network (CRIN)
Isabelle Kolebinov is the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at the Child Rights International Network (CRIN). Since 2016, she has led CRIN’s work on environmental issues, focusing on climate justice and the impact of the environmental crisis on children’s rights. She has conducted research, developed CRIN’s policy initiatives, and crafted advocacy messaging on this issue, while also engaging closely with UN experts, including the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Human Rights Council, and various Special Rapporteurs.
Kolebinov holds a Master of Law in Welfare Law from the University of Orleans and a Master in International Relations from the University of Lyon III Jean Moulin.
M
Najat Maalla M'jid
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children
On 30 May 2019, the Secretary-General of the United Nations appointed Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid as his Special Representative on Violence against Children. Dr. M’jid, a medical doctor in pediatrics, has devoted her life to the promotion and protection of children’s rights over the last four decades. She was Head of the Pediatric Department and Director of the Mother-Child Polyclinic in Casablanca.
Dr. M’jid was a member of the Moroccan Council on Human Rights and founder of the pioneering non-governmental organization Bayti, addressing the protection and reintegration of children living and working in the streets of Morocco. From 2008 to 2014, she served as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography. Dr. M’jid also worked as an international expert on developing and monitoring integrated child protection strategies and policies, as well as on social and development policies. She also worked as a lecturer in Moroccan and international universities on child rights protection and monitoring.
As a member of several regional and international non-governmental organizations and networks working for children’s rights, Dr. M’jid was also involved in the training of social workers, law enforcement, teachers, judges, and medical staff. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her strong commitment to protecting children and their rights.
Rachel McKinney
Team Lead, Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE)
McKinney has 20 years of experience leading and supporting education programs in conflict, post-conflict, health, and natural crisis settings in Western, Eastern, and Southern Africa; the Balkans; the Caucasus; Southeast Asia; the Middle East; Southern Asia; and North America. Although trained in education, much of her professional work has focused on the shared space within and between education and child protection.
After working with several INGOs and UN Agencies, McKinney joined The Alliance and INEE in 2021 to support the CPHA-EiE Joint Initiative. In this role, she supported a range of work focused on increasing technical guidance, supporting advocacy, and strengthening the value placed on integrated CPHA-EiE programming, including finalizing the Guidance Note on Supporting Integrated Child Protection and Education Programming in Humanitarian Action (2022).
In June 2022, she transitioned to her current role of INEE’s Team Lead for Thematic Areas, a role that includes supporting the continued partnership with The Alliance, along with other cross-cutting thematic issues, levels of learning, and modalities of reaching the most vulnerable learners and educators.
Antonia Mulvey
Founder and Executive Director, Legal Action Worldwide (LAW)
Antonia Mulvey is an international lawyer with over 20 years of experience in human rights, refugee, and criminal law, specializing in gendered crimes.
She is the founder and Executive Director of LAW, an INGO providing legal assistance to survivors of human rights violations in conflict-affected areas. She has represented victims from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Ukraine, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. A former UN investigator, she has led rule of law and access to justice programs for the UN.
She has also held academic positions as a Visiting Fellow at LSE and Visiting Scholar at Columbia University.
P
Marc Pecsteen
Chief of Staff of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions of Belgium
Q
Anita Queirazza
Head of Global Child Protection, Humanitarian Action Unit, Plan International
Anita Queirazza is the Head of the Child Protection in Humanitarian Action Unit at Plan International. She has over 15 years of experience in the field of Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPHA) with a Masters in Clinical Psychology and a specialization in Child Psychology.
She has worked globally and directly managed child protection responses in a variety of humanitarian settings in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. Under her leadership, Plan International spearheaded a number of global thematic initiatives to develop program guidance and improve the capacity of humanitarian practitioners to implement programming for the protection of children in crisis and displacement settings.
She represents Plan International in a number of external CPHA fora, such as the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action and the global Child Protection Area of Responsibility. Her current position includes strategy development, quality program design, capacity strengthening, and deployment to large-scale emergencies to manage CPHA programs.
R
Florence Raes
Director, UN Women Brussels Liaison Office
Florence Raes has been the Director of the UN Women Brussels Liaison Office since August 2023. Before this position, she was the Regional Director a.i. for UN Women in West and Central Africa, and the Deputy Regional Director since August 2020, covering 24 countries with a strong emphasis on Women, Peace, and Security, Women’s Economic Empowerment, and Humanitarian Action.
Previously, she was the UN Women Representative in Argentina, where she established the country office and successfully led negotiations with the host government, stakeholders, and partners in areas such as private sector engagement, Women and Sports, and Violence Against Women. Between 2012 and 2019, she served as the UN Women Representative in Paraguay and Mozambique, where she expanded the organization's portfolios and partnerships, strengthened the institution’s coordination mandate, and achieved normative successes such as the adoption of gender-sensitive economic policy frameworks, care policies, and social security schemes.
With over 20 years of senior leadership experience in representation, negotiations, and advocacy, she possesses technical expertise in gender equality and women’s rights across Africa, the Arab States, and Latin America. Her prior experience as a team leader and senior program manager with UN Women, the European Union, and the UK Foreign Service (DFID) in North Africa, the Middle East, Brazil, and Latin America focused on gender-responsive governance, legal reforms, macroeconomics, gender budgeting, and the empowerment of rural, indigenous, and Afro-descendant women. She holds a Master’s in International Relations from the University of Brussels and a Master’s in Latin American Studies from the University of London.
Relinde Reiffers
Senior Technical Expert on MHPSS, Save the Children Netherlands
Relinde Reiffers is a senior technical expert in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) at Save the Children Netherlands. She holds a master’s degree in cultural anthropology, transnational communications, and humanitarian action, and has worked in the international MHPSS context since 2005.
Reiffers has experience in countries and regions spanning from Nepal to the occupied Palestinian Territories to Kurdistan, Iraq, Burundi, DR Congo, Sudan and the Northern Caucasus. She is interested in the bridging and exchange of theory and practice, which has led her to lecture in the master humanitarian action (NOHA).
She has a strong commitment to community-based approaches and multi-country and interdisciplinary collaboration, with the aim to connect, include different voices, and enhance mental and psychosocial well-being of children, adolescents, and their families and communities.
Heidy Rombouts
Director General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation
Heidy Rombouts has over 20 years of experience in international cooperation and human rights. She has collaborated closely with national and international governments and institutions, as well as local actors and civil society across various countries. She began her career as an academic researcher and policy advisor at the Institute of Development Policy and Management at the University of Antwerp, focusing on fragile situations and conducting extensive fieldwork in Rwanda.
Following this, she held various roles as an expert and team leader within the Belgian and German Development Agencies at headquarters, with multiple assignments in Central Africa, Mali, and Kenya. As a project coordinator for the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and a board official at the World Bank Group, she gained a solid understanding of multilateral working environments.
Before assuming her current mandate in October 2021, she served as the Managing Director for Plan International Belgium. She holds a PhD in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Antwerp, as well as master's degrees in Law and Sociology from KU Leuven. Dr. Rombouts has published internationally and provided consulting services in the field of international relations and human rights.
S
Ann Marie Skelton
Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child
Ann Skelton currently serves as the Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. During her term on the Committee, she led the development of General Comment 24 on the administration of child justice and served as Chairperson of the Working Group on Communications for over two years.
She has held various international positions, including Chair of the Advisory Board for the Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty. Her lifelong commitment to child rights advocacy in South Africa and internationally has earned her numerous honors, including the Honorary World Children’s Prize and the Juvenile Justice Without Borders Award.
Olof Skoog
EU Special Representative for Human Rights
Olof Skoog was appointed EU Special Representative for Human Rights on March 1, 2024. He is a Swedish diplomat with extensive experience in a number of top positions worldwide, representing both Sweden and the European Union. Most recently he was EU Ambassador to the UN in New York.
He established durable partnerships among the UN membership in support of effective multilateralism, the UN Charter, respect for human rights, and promoting sustainable peace and development. He has been Director-General for Political Affairs in the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has represented Sweden at the European Union and at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). He has also been the Swedish Ambassador to Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. He has served the United Nations as Executive Assistant to Dr. Hans Blix in the verification of WMDs in Iraq.
With the European Union, Ambassador Skoog served as the first Permanent Chair of the EU Political and Security Committee, coordinating the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy. He then represented the EU as Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei, also accredited to ASEAN.
Abheet J. Solomon
Senior Advisor Environment, UNICEF
Abheet Solomon is the Senior Advisor Environment in UNICEF’s Programme Group, leading efforts to protect children’s health and well-being from climate change and environmental hazards.
He spearheads UNICEF's Healthy Environments for Healthy Children program, which focuses on reducing the harmful effects of climate change and environmental degradation on children. Additionally, he provides strategic leadership for the Children's Environmental Health Collaborative and the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future.
With over 20 years of experience at UNICEF, Solomon has worked at the country, regional, and headquarters levels across Africa, the Caribbean, South Asia, and North America. Throughout his career, he has led the development, implementation, and evaluation of UNICEF and joint UN programs, focusing on measurable impact and sustainable outcomes. His multidisciplinary educational background in Sociology, Computer Science, and Commerce provides him with a broad perspective on addressing the complex challenges facing children globally.
V
Kitty van der Heijden
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Partnerships
Kitty van der Heijden assumed the position of Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships at UNICEF on 18 August 2023.
Her career in international development spans over 35 years, during which she has worked for government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and United Nations entities. Prior to her current role, she served as the Director General for International Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, where she was responsible for strategy development and global operations within the Dutch development portfolio.
As Vice President and Director for Europe and Africa at the World Resources Institute, she established WRI's presence in these regions and was responsible for fundraising and strategic engagement with local actors on challenges related to climate, water, and food. This role built on her previous experience as the Netherlands’ Ambassador for Sustainable Development and Director for Climate, Energy, Environment, and Water.
She has significant field experience in Mexico, India, Ethiopia, and Viet Nam. In Viet Nam, she worked for the United Nations as the Head of the Office of the Resident Coordinator and Senior Advisor on UN reform, where she was responsible for enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, and coherence of UN operations at the country level. She has also served as a non-executive member of the board at Unilever Netherlands (2014–2019) and participated in the Global Commission on Business and the Sustainable Development Goals (2016–2017) and the Global ‘Planetary Security’ Conference (2015–2018). In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the Dutch National ‘Green Ribbon’ of Honor in 2013.
Birgit Van Hout
Director, UNFPA Representation Office to the European Union
Birgit Van Hout is the Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representation Office to the European Union, which aims to end maternal mortality, provide access to family planning, and eradicate gender-based violence and harmful practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation, by 2030. With 30 years of experience in human rights, gender equality, and the rule of law across Guatemala, Timor-Leste, Bosnia, Central Asia, Palestine, Venezuela, and Togo, Mrs. Van Hout has held various roles with the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Prior to joining UNFPA, she served as the Regional Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Brussels, where she initiated the first strategic human rights dialogue between the United Nations and the European Union. Van Hout holds an LL.M., a Master’s in International Politics, and a Diploma in International Human Rights Law.
Benoît Van Keirsbilck
Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Director of Defense for Children International Belgium
Benoit Van Keirsbilck is the Director of the Belgian section of Defence for Children – International (DCI). He also serves as Chief Editor of the Journal of Children’s Law (Belgium) and is a member of the Advisory Board for the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty.
Additionally, he is a member of the Interdisciplinary Center for the Rights of the Child, which organizes academic courses and conducts research on children’s rights.
Van Keirsbilck was elected as a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child for the terms 2021–2024 and 2025–2029.
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With the support of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child - Belgium.
