top of page
The Observatory on Human Rights at the UN
The Observatory on Human Rights at the United Nations strives to support the development of human rights, to innovate legal education by bridging the gap between theory and practice, and to empower the public through knowledge democratization.
Pascale Fournier
Head of the Observatory
"The Observatory offers an unprecedented opportunity to contribute to the international mechanisms for implementing human rights, from the top echelons of the United Nations in Geneva: to take inspiration from the field, to draw up observations, to ask the tough questions, to co-construct, to belong to something bigger than oneself! This will give us both personal and structural leadership. A great adventure awaits us!"
Ibrahim Salama
Associate Director of the Observatory
"The Observatory innovates through its proactive, holistic approach that reflects the interdependance and indivisibility of all human rights. It empowers youth to contribute new ideas as the world badly needs a strengthened human rights architecture through multisectorial and multistakeholders collaborations!"
Working With the Best
The Honourable Nicholas Kasirer
The Honourable Nicholas Kasirer graduated from McGill University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Laws, following a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. In 1986, he completed a postgraduate Diplôme d’études approfondies in International Law at Université Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne). After clerking for the Honourable Jean Beetz of the Supreme Court of Canada, he became a member of the Barreau du Québec in 1987.
From 1989 to 2009, the Honourable Kasirer was a professor at McGill University’s Faculty of Law, where he taught in several fields, including the law of obligations, property law, family law, and wills and estates law in both civil and common law. He was also a visiting professor at various universities, including the Université Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne). He served as Dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill University from 2003 to 2009.
The Honourable Kasirer held the James McGill Chair from 2002 to 2009 and directed the Paul-André Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law from 1996 to 2003. He has authored over a hundred publications in a variety of fields, including civil law, comparative law, and jurilinguistics.
Since 1990, the Honourable Kasirer has been secretary and member of the Editorial Committee of the Private Law Dictionary / Dictionnaire de droit privé at the Faculty of Law at McGill University. He is a member of the editorial committees of the Revue du Notariat, the Revue de droit de l’Université de Sherbrooke, the Louisiana State University Journal of Civil Law Studies, the ISAIDAT Law Review of Turin (Italy) and the Revue internationale de droit comparé in Paris.
In 2009, he was appointed Justice of the Court of Appeal of Quebec. During the last 10 years, he has rendered many judgments in various fields, such as private law, criminal law, and public law, including constitutional law.
Since 2006, he has been a Titular Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law (Paris). In 2012, the Université de Sherbrooke awarded him an honorary doctorate in law. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
The Honourable Nicholas Kasirer was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on September 16, 2019.
From 1989 to 2009, the Honourable Kasirer was a professor at McGill University’s Faculty of Law, where he taught in several fields, including the law of obligations, property law, family law, and wills and estates law in both civil and common law. He was also a visiting professor at various universities, including the Université Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne). He served as Dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill University from 2003 to 2009.
The Honourable Kasirer held the James McGill Chair from 2002 to 2009 and directed the Paul-André Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law from 1996 to 2003. He has authored over a hundred publications in a variety of fields, including civil law, comparative law, and jurilinguistics.
Since 1990, the Honourable Kasirer has been secretary and member of the Editorial Committee of the Private Law Dictionary / Dictionnaire de droit privé at the Faculty of Law at McGill University. He is a member of the editorial committees of the Revue du Notariat, the Revue de droit de l’Université de Sherbrooke, the Louisiana State University Journal of Civil Law Studies, the ISAIDAT Law Review of Turin (Italy) and the Revue internationale de droit comparé in Paris.
In 2009, he was appointed Justice of the Court of Appeal of Quebec. During the last 10 years, he has rendered many judgments in various fields, such as private law, criminal law, and public law, including constitutional law.
Since 2006, he has been a Titular Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law (Paris). In 2012, the Université de Sherbrooke awarded him an honorary doctorate in law. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
The Honourable Nicholas Kasirer was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on September 16, 2019.
Hilary Pearson
Hilary Pearson is Chancellor of Brock University. She has enjoyed a twenty-year career in foundation philanthropy in Canada. As Founding President of Philanthropic Foundations Canada, a position she held for nearly eighteen years, Hilary worked with many of Canada's largest private charitable foundations. Many family foundations have benefited from her strategic advice and assistance in understanding the sector, establishing their goals, setting up their governance structures and defining their giving practices.
The author of numerous articles and reviews on foundation philanthropy, Ms. Pearson is a frequent speaker and workshop leader in Canada and around the world. In her role at PFC, she has published detailed guides to establishing and managing a foundation, as well as guides for foundations working with governments and universities, and involved in public policy advocacy.
Ms. Pearson has extensive knowledge of federal policies governing charities. She is co-chair of the Charitable Sector Advisory Committee, which advises the federal government on policy and regulatory issues. From 2012 to 2015, she served on the Governor General's Advisory Committee on Volunteering and Philanthropy.
In July 2018, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contribution to the development of the philanthropic sector in Canada. Ms. Pearson has served on numerous national not-for-profit boards, including Imagine Canada, The Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada, CARE Canada, Inspire and the Canadian Cancer Society.
She is Chair of the Advisory Board of the Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Master of Philanthropy and Non-Profit Management program at Carleton University. Ms. Pearson holds bachelor's and master's degrees in political economy from the University of Toronto, as well as honorary doctorates from Carleton University, the University of New Brunswick and Mount Allison University.
The author of numerous articles and reviews on foundation philanthropy, Ms. Pearson is a frequent speaker and workshop leader in Canada and around the world. In her role at PFC, she has published detailed guides to establishing and managing a foundation, as well as guides for foundations working with governments and universities, and involved in public policy advocacy.
Ms. Pearson has extensive knowledge of federal policies governing charities. She is co-chair of the Charitable Sector Advisory Committee, which advises the federal government on policy and regulatory issues. From 2012 to 2015, she served on the Governor General's Advisory Committee on Volunteering and Philanthropy.
In July 2018, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contribution to the development of the philanthropic sector in Canada. Ms. Pearson has served on numerous national not-for-profit boards, including Imagine Canada, The Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada, CARE Canada, Inspire and the Canadian Cancer Society.
She is Chair of the Advisory Board of the Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Master of Philanthropy and Non-Profit Management program at Carleton University. Ms. Pearson holds bachelor's and master's degrees in political economy from the University of Toronto, as well as honorary doctorates from Carleton University, the University of New Brunswick and Mount Allison University.
Dr. Philip Jaffé
After an initial four-year term (2019-2022) as Member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Professor Philip D. Jaffé has been re-elected for the period 2023-2027. His professional background is relatively complex, with postgraduate training in both Switzerland (Geneva and Fribourg) and the United States (New York and Boston). For some thirty years, he taught at the University of Geneva's Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. In 2008, he became Director of the Institut Universitaire Kurt Bösch (IUKB) in Sion (Valais) and head of the new teaching and research unit on children's rights.
For several years, he and his team have successfully integrated the IUKB into the University of Geneva, which in 2015 created a new Center for the Study of Children's Rights (CIDE). Dr. Jaffé maintains a small private practice in clinical and forensic psychology in Geneva, which he considers essential for his teaching activities. Indeed, he still teaches legal psychology at the University of Geneva. On several occasions, he has had the privilege of being called upon to carry out humanitarian missions for major international governmental institutions in several troubled regions of the world, such as the Caucasus, Iraq or the Aceh province in Indonesia.
For several years, he and his team have successfully integrated the IUKB into the University of Geneva, which in 2015 created a new Center for the Study of Children's Rights (CIDE). Dr. Jaffé maintains a small private practice in clinical and forensic psychology in Geneva, which he considers essential for his teaching activities. Indeed, he still teaches legal psychology at the University of Geneva. On several occasions, he has had the privilege of being called upon to carry out humanitarian missions for major international governmental institutions in several troubled regions of the world, such as the Caucasus, Iraq or the Aceh province in Indonesia.
Dr. Dawn Memee Lavell-Harvard
Dr. Dawn Lavell Harvard is a proud member of the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island. She is the Director of the First Peoples House of Learning at Trent University and past president of the Native Women's Association of Canada and the Ontario Native Women's Association (2004-2015). Through her scholarly work and speaking engagements in Canada and internationally, Dr. Lavell-Harvard is helping break the cycle of poverty for Aboriginal women and their families through culturally appropriate educational reforms. She has earned numerous honors, including the 2018 “Spirit of Barbara Schlifer” Award in recognition of her relentless fight against violence experienced by indigenous women. She chairs the board of NIWEE (National Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs' Ecosystem) and sits as a board member of the Canadian Women's Foundation.
The Honourable Simon Ruel
The Honourable Simon Ruel was appointed a judge of the Quebec Court of Appeal on June 21, 2017, after serving as a judge of the Quebec Superior Court from 2014 to 2017. During his career as a lawyer, he practiced mainly in public, administrative and government affairs law. After starting his career with Grey Casgrain in Montreal, he worked as a litigator and legal counsel at the Department of Justice Canada, the Privy Council Office and the Department of Finance Canada in Ottawa. Prior to his appointment to the Superior Court, he was a partner with BCF Avocats d'affaires in Quebec City and previously with the Canadian national law firm Heenan Blaikie. As a prosecutor, the Honourable Mr. Ruel has participated in a number of federal and provincial public and regulatory inquiries, and has taught public and administrative law at the École du Barreau du Québec and evidence law at the University of Ottawa.
Chair of the Judicial Committee on Information Security ("COMSI") and of the Judges' Section of the Canadian Bar Association, The Honourable Mr. Ruel is a puisne member of the Canadian Judicial Council's Judicial Independence Committee and co-chair of the Council's Social Media Subcommittee. As counsel, he advised the Council on the reform of the disciplinary process for federally appointed judges and, as a member of the Independence Committee, participated in the revision of Ethical Principles for Federal Judges, updated in 2021. The Honourable Mr. Ruel is also interested in international law. In 2014, he took part in an international mission to assess anti-corruption measures taken by the Republic of Haiti on behalf of Transparency International/Haiti, in preparation for the review of Haiti's implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. He hosts "Sous le feu", a series of podcasts prepared by the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, featuring specialists in international law, the law of war, humanitarian law and international criminal law.
Chair of the Judicial Committee on Information Security ("COMSI") and of the Judges' Section of the Canadian Bar Association, The Honourable Mr. Ruel is a puisne member of the Canadian Judicial Council's Judicial Independence Committee and co-chair of the Council's Social Media Subcommittee. As counsel, he advised the Council on the reform of the disciplinary process for federally appointed judges and, as a member of the Independence Committee, participated in the revision of Ethical Principles for Federal Judges, updated in 2021. The Honourable Mr. Ruel is also interested in international law. In 2014, he took part in an international mission to assess anti-corruption measures taken by the Republic of Haiti on behalf of Transparency International/Haiti, in preparation for the review of Haiti's implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. He hosts "Sous le feu", a series of podcasts prepared by the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, featuring specialists in international law, the law of war, humanitarian law and international criminal law.
Dr. Bessma Momani
Dr. Bessma Momani is Associate Vice-President, International Relations at the University of Waterloo and a full professor in the Department of Political Science. She is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), a Non-Resident Fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, D.C., and a Fulbright Scholar. She previously served as Interim Assistant Vice-President, International Relations at the University of Waterloo and was a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Fellow (2015). She has also been a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., and a Visiting Scholar at the Mortara Center at Georgetown University. She has worked as a consultant to the International Monetary Fund, both in the communications office and the Independent Evaluation Office. Dr. Bessma Momani currently serves as an adviser to the National Security Transparency Advisory Group at Public Safety Canada.
She is currently the director of a three-year-funded Department of National Defence network called the Defence and Security Foresight Group tasked with providing policy-relevant advice to the Department of National Defence. In recent years, Dr. Bessma Momani spearheaded the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation’s Pluralism Project which explored the link between Canadian diversity and economic prosperity. This has led to further work on bringing visible minority women into the Canadian economy. As a frequent media and political analyst on the Middle East, international affairs and the global economy, Bessma has written editorials in The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, the Economist, the National Post and the Toronto Star. She is also a regular media contributor, having done thousands of live broadcast interviews, with CNN, CBC News, CTV, Al Jazeera, CGTN, TRT World and BNN Bloomberg.
She is currently the director of a three-year-funded Department of National Defence network called the Defence and Security Foresight Group tasked with providing policy-relevant advice to the Department of National Defence. In recent years, Dr. Bessma Momani spearheaded the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation’s Pluralism Project which explored the link between Canadian diversity and economic prosperity. This has led to further work on bringing visible minority women into the Canadian economy. As a frequent media and political analyst on the Middle East, international affairs and the global economy, Bessma has written editorials in The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, the Economist, the National Post and the Toronto Star. She is also a regular media contributor, having done thousands of live broadcast interviews, with CNN, CBC News, CTV, Al Jazeera, CGTN, TRT World and BNN Bloomberg.
The Honourable Denis Paradis
In 2006, the Honorable Denis Paradis, C.P., Ad.E., joined Dunton Rainville as legal counsel, where he practises mainly in the administrative, corporate and tax fields. After being called to the Quebec Bar in 1976, the Honourable Paradis practiced for nearly twenty years with the firm “Paradis et Associés”, which he founded. During this period, the Honourable Paradis also taught agricultural law at the Quebec Bar. Elected vice-president of the Quebec Bar in 1992, and Bâtonnier in 1993, the Honourable Paradis has, throughout his career, consistently demonstrated the sincerity of his professional involvement, as well as his willingness to defend and promote the influence of the legal profession.
Naturally, the Honourable Paradis' involvement in the political sphere was also evident. First at the local level, the Honourable Paradis was Member of Parliament for Brome-Missisquoi, then at the national level, he was in charge of three ministerial portfolios between 2002 and 2004: the Ministry of State for Latin America and Africa, the Ministry of Francophonie and the Ministry of State for Financial Institutions. Resolutely oriented towards the international arena, the Honourable Paradis founded the Canada-Algeria Business Alliance in 2008 and is currently its president. He has also worked for the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, and prepared the Summit of Heads of State of the Francophonie in Beirut.
Naturally, the Honourable Paradis' involvement in the political sphere was also evident. First at the local level, the Honourable Paradis was Member of Parliament for Brome-Missisquoi, then at the national level, he was in charge of three ministerial portfolios between 2002 and 2004: the Ministry of State for Latin America and Africa, the Ministry of Francophonie and the Ministry of State for Financial Institutions. Resolutely oriented towards the international arena, the Honourable Paradis founded the Canada-Algeria Business Alliance in 2008 and is currently its president. He has also worked for the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, and prepared the Summit of Heads of State of the Francophonie in Beirut.
Orlando Arriagada
Arriving in Quebec in the 90s, Orlando Arriagada quickly made his mark in the television industry as a producer and businessman. In 1996, he founded his first company, Al Dente Films, followed by Tutti Frutti Films in 2003, which he sold to FRV Media. In 2007, Pimiento was born, and has since produced nearly thirty unique documentaries and documentary series broadcast on Canal D, APTN, Ici Radio-Canada and Canal vie, to name but a few, in addition to numerous creations for new media. Orlando's directing credits include the documentaries Derrière le miracle, Miss inc, Au pif, the series Amérikologie, L'ADN du ceviche, selected at the 63rd San Sebastian International Film Festival in the "Culinary Zinema" category, La bataille de Nancy, and in 2021, the series Voir la musique autrement and his latest production, the unique documentary entitled “La purge, LGBT, la sombre histoire" (broadcast on September 16, 2023 on ICI Première), which attracted a great deal of attention and media interest.
Over the years, he has been involved in a number of organizations, including the Quebec Latin American Chamber of Commerce and the “Association des producteurs de films et de télévision du Québec”. Orlando Arriagada is also committed to the next generation of film and television professionals, having created the Pimiento scholarship to cover the tuition fees of some of his employees admitted to L'inis. He has also collaborated on numerous occasions with film and television festivals and organizations, most recently with Fantasia and the Montreal Black Film Festival. From 2019 to 2023, Orlando was Professor and Director of the Documentary Master's program and the Documentary Creation Lab at ESCAC (Catalonia Film School) in Barcelona.
Over the years, he has been involved in a number of organizations, including the Quebec Latin American Chamber of Commerce and the “Association des producteurs de films et de télévision du Québec”. Orlando Arriagada is also committed to the next generation of film and television professionals, having created the Pimiento scholarship to cover the tuition fees of some of his employees admitted to L'inis. He has also collaborated on numerous occasions with film and television festivals and organizations, most recently with Fantasia and the Montreal Black Film Festival. From 2019 to 2023, Orlando was Professor and Director of the Documentary Master's program and the Documentary Creation Lab at ESCAC (Catalonia Film School) in Barcelona.
Myrlande Pierre
Myrlande Pierre is Vice-President of the “Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse”. She is responsible for the Commission's mandate under the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Act respecting equal access to employment in public bodies. Ms. Pierre is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in the field of immigration and socio-economic integration, with a particular focus on the socio-economic integration of racialized minorities. Systemic racism and discrimination, as well as issues affecting ethnocultural and racialized minority women, form the cornerstone of her work.
A sociologist by training, her career has also been marked by her social commitment. In this regard, Ms. Pierre was appointed President of the “Table sur la diversité, l'inclusion et la lutte contre les discriminations” by the Mayoress of Montreal (March 2018 - June 2019). She was a member of an expert committee on Black communities in Canada at Statistics Canada (2018 - 2019)- This committee was called upon to define orientations and policies relating to the reality and socio-economic issues of Black communities in Quebec and Canada. Myrlande Pierre has received several awards for her involvement in advancing the rights of women and racialized minorities. In 2018, she received the “Médaille de l'Assemblée nationale”. More recently, she received the “Prix Opale Diversité” (2020). In 2001, Ms. Pierre received the “Prix Femme, politique et société” for her community involvement and contribution to advancing issues of participation and representation of racialized minority women in institutional and democratic structures.
A sociologist by training, her career has also been marked by her social commitment. In this regard, Ms. Pierre was appointed President of the “Table sur la diversité, l'inclusion et la lutte contre les discriminations” by the Mayoress of Montreal (March 2018 - June 2019). She was a member of an expert committee on Black communities in Canada at Statistics Canada (2018 - 2019)- This committee was called upon to define orientations and policies relating to the reality and socio-economic issues of Black communities in Quebec and Canada. Myrlande Pierre has received several awards for her involvement in advancing the rights of women and racialized minorities. In 2018, she received the “Médaille de l'Assemblée nationale”. More recently, she received the “Prix Opale Diversité” (2020). In 2001, Ms. Pierre received the “Prix Femme, politique et société” for her community involvement and contribution to advancing issues of participation and representation of racialized minority women in institutional and democratic structures.
Dr. Bernard Motulsky
Dr. Bernard Motulsky holds a master's degree and a doctorate (Ph.D.) in philosophy, and is the author of several books on communications. He has over thirty years' experience in the field of communications and public relations. Currently a professor in the Department of Social and Public Communications at UQAM, he began his career as an editor and journalist before becoming a communications professor at Université Laval. He subsequently held a number of positions, most notably with the Cossette Group, the Quebec government, the Montreal Stock Exchange and the Université de Montréal. He was Chairman of the Advisory Board on Administrative Governance of the “Autorité des marchés financiers du Québec” (AMF) between 2005 and 2015, and President of the “Société québécoise des professionnels en relations publiques” (SQPRP) from 2014 to 2016.
He is the recipient of several awards, including the highest honor from the Quebec Society of Public Relations Professionals, the Yves St-Amand Award, presented in 2024. Often called upon to comment on current events in the media, he is founding vice-president of the Paris-based Academy of Controversy and Sensitive Communication. He is also interested in issues of migration and identity, and in 2023 published a book on his quest to retrace his family history through the turmoil of history.
He is the recipient of several awards, including the highest honor from the Quebec Society of Public Relations Professionals, the Yves St-Amand Award, presented in 2024. Often called upon to comment on current events in the media, he is founding vice-president of the Paris-based Academy of Controversy and Sensitive Communication. He is also interested in issues of migration and identity, and in 2023 published a book on his quest to retrace his family history through the turmoil of history.
Richard Thompson Ford
n civil rights and anti-discrimination law. He has earned the reputation of an informed voice and hard-hitting author on issues of racism and multiculturalism. Combining social criticism and legal analysis, his work focuses on the social and legal conflicts associated with discrimination claims, the causes and effects of racial segregation, and the use of territorial boundaries as instruments of social regulation.
He publishes for for both popular reading enthusiasts and for academics and legal professionals. He has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor, Vox, New York Daily News, Slate and was a columnist for The American Interest. His most recent book, Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History, has been translated into five languages and was selected as Editor's Choice Ted Talk in 2021. Two of his other books, Rights Gone Wrong: How Law Corrupts the Struggle for Equality and The Race Card: How Bluffing About Bias Makes Race Relations Worse, were awarded "Outstanding Books of the Year" by the New York Times. He is also the author of Racial Card: A Critique and Universal Rights Down to Earth. Richard T. Ford is a Fellow of the American Law Institute, a founding member of the Academic Freedom Alliance and a member of the Board of Directors of the Author's Guild Foundation. He has been a visiting professor at Harvard University, Columbia University and Yale University, and has taught in 12 countries on 5 continents.
He publishes for for both popular reading enthusiasts and for academics and legal professionals. He has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor, Vox, New York Daily News, Slate and was a columnist for The American Interest. His most recent book, Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History, has been translated into five languages and was selected as Editor's Choice Ted Talk in 2021. Two of his other books, Rights Gone Wrong: How Law Corrupts the Struggle for Equality and The Race Card: How Bluffing About Bias Makes Race Relations Worse, were awarded "Outstanding Books of the Year" by the New York Times. He is also the author of Racial Card: A Critique and Universal Rights Down to Earth. Richard T. Ford is a Fellow of the American Law Institute, a founding member of the Academic Freedom Alliance and a member of the Board of Directors of the Author's Guild Foundation. He has been a visiting professor at Harvard University, Columbia University and Yale University, and has taught in 12 countries on 5 continents.
Nadja Pollaert
Executive Director of “Médecins du Monde Canada” since 2014, Nadja Pollaert has held varying positions of responsibility and can attest to several notable achievements. Indeed, she headed the International Bureau for Children's Rights, an international non-governmental organization in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. An expert in children's rights and protection, she has initiated and led projects with multiple donors and partners in over 15 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Central America. Co-chair of the Humanitarian Response Network of Canada (HRN) from 2018-2020, Nadja Pollaert was appointed to the Orientation Council of the Centre d'études et de recherches internationales (CÉRIUM) in 2009.
For several years, she also coordinated the “Comité d'aide aux réfugiés”, an advocacy organization for asylum seekers and refugees in Canada. Determined to contribute to the defense of human rights, she has been involved in several organizations as a director and volunteer, including “Maison Buissonnière”, an organization dedicated to the social development of children, the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of the Child, “Paix durable” and “Amnistie internationale - section francophone”. A political scientist by training, she holds a degree in international relations from the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (IEP). Nadja also holds a master's degree in international relations from the Université de Montréal.
For several years, she also coordinated the “Comité d'aide aux réfugiés”, an advocacy organization for asylum seekers and refugees in Canada. Determined to contribute to the defense of human rights, she has been involved in several organizations as a director and volunteer, including “Maison Buissonnière”, an organization dedicated to the social development of children, the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of the Child, “Paix durable” and “Amnistie internationale - section francophone”. A political scientist by training, she holds a degree in international relations from the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (IEP). Nadja also holds a master's degree in international relations from the Université de Montréal.
Jose Andres Egas Loaiza
Mr. Egas is the representative, UNHCR multi-country office in Panama. He joined UNHCR almost 20 years ago in Luanda, Angola. Since then, he has worked for UNHCR in more than a dozen offices in several countries, including Angola, Brazil, Colombia, Myanmar, Iran, Greece, and Panama, as well as at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva. Mr. Egas has held numerous roles including Head of various field offices, program and planning positions, administration and HR, and protection of refugees and internally displaced persons. He participated in return and repatriation processes, management of several emergencies, as well as coordination and representation of UNHCR in United Nations inter-agency processes and has worked in the private donor section of UNHCR.
Prior to arriving in Panama, Mr. Egas was Director of the Organization's Transformation Programme (BTP) at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva and, before that, he was the UNHCR’s Representative in Brazil. Mr. Egas is an Ecuadorian and Brazilian citizen, husband and has two children. Mr. Egas graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology of Development from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito/Ecuador and Kalamazoo College/USA and a Master's degree in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague/Netherlands. He speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Prior to arriving in Panama, Mr. Egas was Director of the Organization's Transformation Programme (BTP) at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva and, before that, he was the UNHCR’s Representative in Brazil. Mr. Egas is an Ecuadorian and Brazilian citizen, husband and has two children. Mr. Egas graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology of Development from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito/Ecuador and Kalamazoo College/USA and a Master's degree in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague/Netherlands. He speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Agnès Gruda
With a degree in Communications from Concordia University, Agnès Gruda worked for 35 years as a journalist at La Presse, where she was an editorial writer, assistant news editor, reporter and international columnist. She has reported from over thirty countries, including conflict zones such as the former Yugoslavia, the Middle East, Ukraine and Libya. She has taken a particular interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, migratory movements and the Arab Spring.
Since 2019, she has held an international news column on Radio-Canada radio. She has been teaching a course on international information and journalism at the University of Montreal since 2016. She has also published two collections of short stories, “Onze petites trahisons”, in 2010 (Adrienne Choquette Award, and finalist for the Governor General's Award) and “Mourir mais pas trop”, in 2016.
Since 2019, she has held an international news column on Radio-Canada radio. She has been teaching a course on international information and journalism at the University of Montreal since 2016. She has also published two collections of short stories, “Onze petites trahisons”, in 2010 (Adrienne Choquette Award, and finalist for the Governor General's Award) and “Mourir mais pas trop”, in 2016.
Karina Montminy
Holding a diploma in advanced studies in international public law from the University of Montpellier, France, Ms. Karina Montminy began her legal practice in Guatemala with an NGO dedicated to defending human rights, particularly for indigenous people who were victims of rights violations during the civil war. She then held a project manager position at the Department of Management and Settlement of Disputes at the Ministry of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, where she was responsible for litigation in Quebec.
Desiring to actively contribute to the advancement of human rights and freedoms in Quebec, Ms. Montminy joined the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission. She initially served as a regional representative and investigator, particularly within Indigenous settings. For the past 20 years, Ms. Montminy has been a legal advisor at the Research Division, an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and sociologists. Through the numerous projects she has worked on over the years, including briefs, statements, public positions, presentations, and publications, she has been dedicated to advocating for the rights of children, women, indigenous people, and individuals with disabilities.
Desiring to actively contribute to the advancement of human rights and freedoms in Quebec, Ms. Montminy joined the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission. She initially served as a regional representative and investigator, particularly within Indigenous settings. For the past 20 years, Ms. Montminy has been a legal advisor at the Research Division, an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and sociologists. Through the numerous projects she has worked on over the years, including briefs, statements, public positions, presentations, and publications, she has been dedicated to advocating for the rights of children, women, indigenous people, and individuals with disabilities.
Dr. Yacouba Cissé
Dr. Yacouba Cissé is currently a member of the United Nations International Law Commission, Ambassador of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire to the Republic of Austria and Permanent Representative of Côte d'Ivoire to the United Nations Office and others International Organizations in Vienna. He is an expert in the international law of maritime boundary delimitation and other law of the sea issues, with numerous publications to his credit in this field. He holds a bachelor's degree and a master’s degree in public international law from the University of Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire). He also holds a master's degree in science and management of maritime affairs from the University of Rimouski in Quebec and a doctorate in law from the University of Ottawa (Canada) with congratulations from the jury and the Paris Bar Prize.
Dr. Cissé is a member of the Abidjan Bar and was Director of the International Civil Service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Côte d'Ivoire.
As a member of the United Nations International Law Commission, he is a member of the Study Group set up by the Commission to address the issue of sea-level rise and its implications for international law. He is the Special Rapporteur on ‘Prevention and repression of maritime piracy and armed robbery at sea’. This subject is part of the Commission's long-term programme and received broad support from delegates attending the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He currently chairs the Group of the Francophone Ambassadors (GAF) accredited to Vienna, Austria.
Dr. Cissé is a member of the Abidjan Bar and was Director of the International Civil Service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Côte d'Ivoire.
As a member of the United Nations International Law Commission, he is a member of the Study Group set up by the Commission to address the issue of sea-level rise and its implications for international law. He is the Special Rapporteur on ‘Prevention and repression of maritime piracy and armed robbery at sea’. This subject is part of the Commission's long-term programme and received broad support from delegates attending the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He currently chairs the Group of the Francophone Ambassadors (GAF) accredited to Vienna, Austria.
Dr. Prativa Baral
Dr. Prativa Baral is an epidemiologist and a faculty associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She operates at the intersection of global health policy and advocacy, while investigating risks of health emergencies, early warning and surveillance systems, and health systems resilience, particularly during crises. She is also the co-founder of Let Science Connect, a science communications training consultancy targeting researchers and experts.
Over the past few years, she has collaborated with and consulted for OpenAI, the United Nations, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, the United Nations, the Global Pandemic Monitoring Board, the Canadian COVID Task Force and more, contributing to the pandemic research and policy response to COVID-19 at both domestic and international levels. She also regularly appeared on Canadian media during the pandemic, providing Canadians with practical and expert advice regarding COVID-19.
Dr. Baral is a sought-after speaker and expert panelist, frequently contributing to major domestic and global meetings, including at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos. Most recently, she led the secretariat of the expert panel convened by the Royal Society of Canada and Canadian Academy of Health Sciences to define Canada’s role in global health. Previously, she played a key role in drafting the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s framework for action on global health research.
Dr. Prativa Baral holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a master’s in public health in epidemiology from Columbia University and a bachelor’s of science from McGill University. She is a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar and a Canadian Institutes for Health Research Doctoral Foreign Student Award recipient. Fluent in French, English and Nepali, Prativa is a former nationally ranked chess player.
Over the past few years, she has collaborated with and consulted for OpenAI, the United Nations, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, the United Nations, the Global Pandemic Monitoring Board, the Canadian COVID Task Force and more, contributing to the pandemic research and policy response to COVID-19 at both domestic and international levels. She also regularly appeared on Canadian media during the pandemic, providing Canadians with practical and expert advice regarding COVID-19.
Dr. Baral is a sought-after speaker and expert panelist, frequently contributing to major domestic and global meetings, including at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos. Most recently, she led the secretariat of the expert panel convened by the Royal Society of Canada and Canadian Academy of Health Sciences to define Canada’s role in global health. Previously, she played a key role in drafting the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s framework for action on global health research.
Dr. Prativa Baral holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a master’s in public health in epidemiology from Columbia University and a bachelor’s of science from McGill University. She is a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar and a Canadian Institutes for Health Research Doctoral Foreign Student Award recipient. Fluent in French, English and Nepali, Prativa is a former nationally ranked chess player.
Dr. Jasmine Mah
Dr. Jasmine Mah is a resident doctor who cares for older adults in Geriatric Medicine. She operates at the intersection of medicine, research, and policy providing solutions for people to live, age and receive healthcare with dignity in the homes of their choice, even in the face of circumstances that limit their autonomy. She is committed to translating clinical and research findings in medicine into systemic change both in Canada and internationally. Dr. Mah's current research focuses on the impact of frailty and social vulnerability on clinical outcomes and healthcare resource use among older adults in Nova Scotia. To apply her learnings, she is also exploring potential solutions to improve the admission process for socially vulnerable individuals in hospitals.
Dr. Mah recognizes the challenges of bridging theory and practice. To help her colleagues make their work more accessible, she co-founded Let Science Connect, which provides research teams with support and workshops on science communication. Beyond Canada, Dr. Mah contributed to the development of a national plan on organ donation and transplantation in Greece. The project, presented to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in July 2021, continues to contribute to significant improvements in Greece’s transplant infrastructure.
Dr. Mah earned her medical degree from the University of Ottawa, a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and her PhD from Dalhousie University. She is a Canadian Medical Association Young Leader and recipient of the Association of Faculties of Medicine Learner Changemaker Award.
Dr. Mah recognizes the challenges of bridging theory and practice. To help her colleagues make their work more accessible, she co-founded Let Science Connect, which provides research teams with support and workshops on science communication. Beyond Canada, Dr. Mah contributed to the development of a national plan on organ donation and transplantation in Greece. The project, presented to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in July 2021, continues to contribute to significant improvements in Greece’s transplant infrastructure.
Dr. Mah earned her medical degree from the University of Ottawa, a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and her PhD from Dalhousie University. She is a Canadian Medical Association Young Leader and recipient of the Association of Faculties of Medicine Learner Changemaker Award.
Éloge Butera
Éloge currently serves as Director of the Dallaire Institute’s Africa Centre of Excellence on Children, Peace and Security, based in Rwanda. He leads a team that promotes child protection and works to end the recruitment and use of children as soldiers globally. A McGill Law graduate, Éloge has a distinguished career in human rights and public policy. Over the past decade, he has served as a leading advisor to some of Canada’s most distinguished parliamentarians including the Honourable Professor Irwin Cotler, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire (Rtd), former Senator and Commander of UN forces in Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda, as well as the Honourable Ralph Goodale, former Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. A survivor of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda, Éloge tirelessly champions both the prevention of and accountability for mass atrocities and genocide around the world. He has spoken to dozens of audiences of all ages about his experience in Rwanda and the important role engaged citizens can play in preventing other genocides in our time. In 2013, Éloge was inducted as an Honorary Witness to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, established in 2008 to document the history and lasting impacts of the Canadian Indian residential school system on Indigenous students and their families and educating Canadians about the devastating legacy of this brutal assimilation policy. Along with Holocaust Survivor and fellow Honorary Witness Robbie Wiseman, he played the role of “survivor in solidarity” with residential school survivors and their descendants. He was proud to advance the Commission’s public-facing work and spearheaded a civil society effort to implement some of the Commission’s 94 calls to action. When not in Rwanda, Éloge lives near a beautiful river just outside Ottawa, Canada with his loving, brilliant life partner and their two young, active children.
Ariane Rémy Quevedo
Ariane Rémy-Quevedo is an experience lawyer based in Montreal, whose diverse background showcases deep legal expertise and the ability to navigate multicultural environments. Trilingual, she is fluent in French, English, and Spanish, enabling her to communicate and collaborate effectively across various contexts.
In 2018, Ariane earned her Civil Law Licence from the University of Ottawa, where she distinguished herself as a research and teaching assistant. As the coordinator of the Research Chair in Legal Pluralism and Comparative Law under Professor Pascale Fournier, she conducted extensive research in international law and general legal principles, reinforcing her commitment to advancing legal knowledge. Her involvement in studying Latin American legal systems further enriched her understanding of global issues in international law.
Ariane began her legal career at Dionne Avocats Inc. and Le Palier Juridique, where she gained solid experience in family law. Since October 2023, she has held the position of Employment and Labor Lawyer at CISSS de Laval. In this role, she uses her expertise to manage complex cases in the public health sector, providing strategic legal solutions tailored to the organization’s needs.
Ariane’s career path is marked by academic excellence, professional rigor, and multilingual skills, making her a versatile and accomplished lawyer.
In 2018, Ariane earned her Civil Law Licence from the University of Ottawa, where she distinguished herself as a research and teaching assistant. As the coordinator of the Research Chair in Legal Pluralism and Comparative Law under Professor Pascale Fournier, she conducted extensive research in international law and general legal principles, reinforcing her commitment to advancing legal knowledge. Her involvement in studying Latin American legal systems further enriched her understanding of global issues in international law.
Ariane began her legal career at Dionne Avocats Inc. and Le Palier Juridique, where she gained solid experience in family law. Since October 2023, she has held the position of Employment and Labor Lawyer at CISSS de Laval. In this role, she uses her expertise to manage complex cases in the public health sector, providing strategic legal solutions tailored to the organization’s needs.
Ariane’s career path is marked by academic excellence, professional rigor, and multilingual skills, making her a versatile and accomplished lawyer.
Raphaël Grenier-Benoit
Raphaël Grenier-Benoit is a doctoral student at the University of Oxford Faculty of Law, where he conducts research under the supervision of Professor Richard Ekins. Fascinated by issues at the intersection of law, politics, and morality, his research focuses on constitutional interpretation and on the role of the judiciary in harmonizing law to social change. Before studying law, Raphaël worked for almost a decade in the media, notably as an actor in the Radio-Canada series “Les Parents”. He also co-developed and hosted a documentary series highlighting the community involvement of young francophones. Following those experiences, he obtained a bachelor's degree in civil law and common law at McGill University's Faculty of Law, and an MPhil in law (with Distinction) at the University of Oxford. While at McGill, he served as Executive Editor of the McGill Law Journal, worked as a law clerk for Judge Jean-Pierre Archambault of the Court of Quebec, and as a research assistant for Professor Mark D. Walters. In addition to his academic activities, Raphaël sits on the board of directors of the “Fête de la lecture et du livre jeunesse de Longueuil”, and is a member of the International Association of Young Lawyers.
Michelle Liu
Michelle Liu (they/them) is an uninvited third-generation settler based on the traditional land of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. As a Queer, non-binary, racialized, and neurodivergent person, Michelle’s focus across their undertakings is on using their subject matter knowledge and lived experience to influence individuals, organizations, and systems to advance social justice. Michelle’s work is informed by various critical and anti-oppressive frameworks including decolonial, abolitionist, Queer, feminist, anti-racist, and intersectional frameworks.
Michelle is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng) in Ontario and a member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario. Michelle’s speaking, activism, and policy advisory work has touched over 160 events, documents, and organizations. Michelle is also on the editorial team of the Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, a multidisciplinary and peer-reviewed publication of scholarship on the social, economic, and legal status of women, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming persons.
Michelle earned their Honours BASc and MASc in civil engineering (structural and cold regions engineering) from the University of Waterloo and worked in design and construction management for various consulting engineering firms. Michelle’s encounters with racism, homophobia, ableism, and gender-based violence in engineering inspired them to pursue their law degree (JD, Magna cum laude and Dean’s Award) and engineering PhD simultaneously at the University of Ottawa. While in law school, Michelle served two terms as the President of the Common Law Student Society, President of OUTLaw 2SLGBTQ+ Law Students Association, and member of the University Senate. Michelle has worked at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and Ecojustice Canada.
Michelle’s engineering PhD research, for which they received both the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship, uses sociolegal frameworks to understand the relationship between technological designs and the dominant norms in engineering such as masculinity and meritocracy. Michelle’s current priorities include becoming a professor of both law and engineering and to run a law practice advocating for equity-seeking people who experience discrimination in STEM workplaces.
Michelle’s volunteer work in both law and engineering has included serving as a Councillor (Board Member) of Professional Engineers Ontario, member of the Equity Advisory Group of the Law Society of Ontario, mentor with the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, Chair of the Waterloo Recent Engineering Alumni Council, member of uOttawa Law’s Recent Alumni Engagement Council, ambassador with the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering, and Co-Chair of the EDIA Task Force of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. Michelle also co-created and co-funds the Liu-Kennington Award for the 2SLGBTQ+ Engineering Community, the first university-level scholarship for 2SLGBTQ+ engineering students in Canada.
For their leadership, activism, and impact, Michelle has received over 20 awards from local and national institutions, including being named an EDI Leader in Engineering Workplaces by Engineers Canada in 2021-2022.
Michelle is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng) in Ontario and a member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario. Michelle’s speaking, activism, and policy advisory work has touched over 160 events, documents, and organizations. Michelle is also on the editorial team of the Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, a multidisciplinary and peer-reviewed publication of scholarship on the social, economic, and legal status of women, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming persons.
Michelle earned their Honours BASc and MASc in civil engineering (structural and cold regions engineering) from the University of Waterloo and worked in design and construction management for various consulting engineering firms. Michelle’s encounters with racism, homophobia, ableism, and gender-based violence in engineering inspired them to pursue their law degree (JD, Magna cum laude and Dean’s Award) and engineering PhD simultaneously at the University of Ottawa. While in law school, Michelle served two terms as the President of the Common Law Student Society, President of OUTLaw 2SLGBTQ+ Law Students Association, and member of the University Senate. Michelle has worked at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and Ecojustice Canada.
Michelle’s engineering PhD research, for which they received both the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship, uses sociolegal frameworks to understand the relationship between technological designs and the dominant norms in engineering such as masculinity and meritocracy. Michelle’s current priorities include becoming a professor of both law and engineering and to run a law practice advocating for equity-seeking people who experience discrimination in STEM workplaces.
Michelle’s volunteer work in both law and engineering has included serving as a Councillor (Board Member) of Professional Engineers Ontario, member of the Equity Advisory Group of the Law Society of Ontario, mentor with the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, Chair of the Waterloo Recent Engineering Alumni Council, member of uOttawa Law’s Recent Alumni Engagement Council, ambassador with the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering, and Co-Chair of the EDIA Task Force of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. Michelle also co-created and co-funds the Liu-Kennington Award for the 2SLGBTQ+ Engineering Community, the first university-level scholarship for 2SLGBTQ+ engineering students in Canada.
For their leadership, activism, and impact, Michelle has received over 20 awards from local and national institutions, including being named an EDI Leader in Engineering Workplaces by Engineers Canada in 2021-2022.
Dr. Emmanuel Kattan
Dr. Emmanuel Kattan is Director of the Alliance Program, an innovative academic joint venture of Columbia University and three major French Higher Education Institutions: École Polytechnique, Sciences Po, and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. He was previously Director of the British Council in New York, where he oversaw academic collaboration programs. He created partnerships with the Henry Luce Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation to launch initiatives connecting higher education institutions across the Atlantic. Before joining the British Council, Dr. Emmanuel Kattan was Senior Adviser at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, where he managed strategic communications and engagement with academic communities. He also held senior positions at the Commonwealth Secretariat and at the Quebec Delegation in London, where he was in charge of academic relations programs.
A native of Montreal, Dr. Emmanuel Kattan studied politics at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar and earned a PhD from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. He is the author of four books: an essay on the politics of memory and three novels.
A native of Montreal, Dr. Emmanuel Kattan studied politics at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar and earned a PhD from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. He is the author of four books: an essay on the politics of memory and three novels.
Mélanie Vincent
Mélanie Vincent is a member of the Huron-Wendat Nation, holder of a multidisciplinary bachelor's degree from Université Laval (1998), a master's degree in justice and security administration from the University of Phoenix (Arizona-2009) and a scholarship from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations in Geneva and UNESCO in Paris (2004). Since 2007, Gestion MV Management has been offering management consulting services on Aboriginal issues, the organization of turnkey events focused on Aboriginal issues, strategic communications and organizational coaching related to the diversity and inclusion of Aboriginal peoples in Quebec. Executive Director of the First Nations Socio-Economic Forum in 2006, she then served as Executive Assistant to the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations QC-Labrador from 2007 to 2021. Between 2012 and 2019, she was responsible for deploying campaigns on class action claims processes, including the Sixties Scoop, across Canada. L'université Nipissing décernera à Jeannette Corbiere Lavell un doctorat honorifique en éducation. From 2012 to 2024, Mélanie was part of the coordination team responsible for protecting the rights and interests related to the heritage of the Huron-Wendat Nation in Ontario. She developed expertise in the repatriation of Wendat ancestors and artifacts. In 2017, Mélanie founded the KWE! Meet with Indigenous Peoples festival, aimed at fostering connections between Quebecers and Indigenous peoples in Quebec. Held annually in Quebec City KWE attracts over 20,000 visitors. She continues to serve as its Executive Director. Thanks to her experience and expertise in crisis communication management and emergency management, Mélanie is a trainer for the School of Indigenous Leaders at HEC Montréal.
Étienne Cossette-Lefebvre
Étienne Cossette-Lefebvre is a lawyer, a doctoral candidate in law at the University of Toronto, and an adjunct assistant professor and fellow in property law at Queen's University Faculty of Law. He is a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar (2021-2024) and a Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral Fellow in honour of Nelson Mandela (2021-2024). His dissertation offers innovative trans-systemic perspectives on the idea of self-ownership to explain a person's rights over their body, image, voice and personal information. He feels privileged to be a Jeune Boursier at Collège Massey.
Étienne obtained his B.C.L./LL.B. (Honours) from McGill University's Faculty of Law in May 2014. His time at the Faculty earned him several awards for excellence, and his name appears on the Dean's Honour Roll. He also received the Quebec Comparative Law Association's essay competition prize in the undergraduate category (2013-2014). During his post-secondary studies, Étienne continued his high-level training in classical piano.
After graduating from the Bar, where he earned the second-highest mark of his entire cohort (2014-2015), Étienne worked as a research lawyer at the Quebec Court of Appeal. In 2018-2019, he clerked for the Honourable Russell Brown at the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2020, he obtained a Master of Law degree from the University of Toronto. During the 2020-2021 academic year, he lecturer at McGill University's Faculty of Law and was an Associate Director of the Paul-André Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law. His research interests include the law of persons, the law of property, the law of obligations, the law of succession, comparative law, legal theory and philosophy, and legal history.
Étienne obtained his B.C.L./LL.B. (Honours) from McGill University's Faculty of Law in May 2014. His time at the Faculty earned him several awards for excellence, and his name appears on the Dean's Honour Roll. He also received the Quebec Comparative Law Association's essay competition prize in the undergraduate category (2013-2014). During his post-secondary studies, Étienne continued his high-level training in classical piano.
After graduating from the Bar, where he earned the second-highest mark of his entire cohort (2014-2015), Étienne worked as a research lawyer at the Quebec Court of Appeal. In 2018-2019, he clerked for the Honourable Russell Brown at the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2020, he obtained a Master of Law degree from the University of Toronto. During the 2020-2021 academic year, he lecturer at McGill University's Faculty of Law and was an Associate Director of the Paul-André Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law. His research interests include the law of persons, the law of property, the law of obligations, the law of succession, comparative law, legal theory and philosophy, and legal history.
Lydie Belporo
Lydie C. Belporo is a Senior Desk Officer at Global Affairs Canada and a PhD candidate at the School of Criminology at the University of Montreal, where she is completing a thesis on the governance of disengagement from violent extremism in Sub-Saharan Africa. Holder of two master's degrees in international relations and international law from the University of Montreal, she coordinated the PREV-IMPACT project for the UNESCO Chair in the Prevention of Radicalization and Violent Extremism in Canada until 2020.
She then served as a research associate for the international study on the prevention of radicalization and violent extremism in the Francophone world, conducted in collaboration with the “Organisation Internationale de la francophonie”, published in 2022. Recipient of numerous academic awards and doctoral scholarships, Lydie has distinguished herself in the regional humanitarian law competition organized by the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) and in the national literary competition on fair trade organized by the organization Aide Internationale pour l'Enfance in Quebec.
She then served as a research associate for the international study on the prevention of radicalization and violent extremism in the Francophone world, conducted in collaboration with the “Organisation Internationale de la francophonie”, published in 2022. Recipient of numerous academic awards and doctoral scholarships, Lydie has distinguished herself in the regional humanitarian law competition organized by the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) and in the national literary competition on fair trade organized by the organization Aide Internationale pour l'Enfance in Quebec.
Sahar Ghadhban
Sahar Ghadhban is a career diplomat with over a decade of experience abroad, specializing on Russia and the Middle East. She began her diplomatic career with assignments at the Canadian embassies in Algeria (2008) and Syria (2010), where she handled the human rights file. In Syria, she monitored the trials and detention of political activists and collaborated with civil society to raise awareness about their cases.
Sahar gained multilateral experience working at the Canadian missions to the UN in Geneva (2011) and New York (2015), where she negotiated resolutions on various issues, including decolonization, the right of self-determination, and peacekeeping operations. Before joining the Foreign Service, Sahar also worked at the United Nations Programme for Development in post-revolution Tunisia, where she witnessed the drafting of a new constitution and the first free elections.
In 2017, Sahar was posted to the Embassy of Canada to Russia with concurrent accreditation to Armenia (2017-2021). She reported on Russia’s foreign policy, particularly its military intervention in Syria and the invasion of Ukraine. Sahar examined the impact of these conflicts on the world order. Sahar also covered the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and coordinated Canada’s political and humanitarian response. Sahar recently completed a three-year posting at the Embassy of Canada to Lebanon (2021-2024), where she focused on key political and security issues, notably the war in Gaza and its impact on Southern Lebanon.
In Moscow, Sahar took the lead in establishing the Women in Diplomacy Network, a platform designed to promote and support women in foreign policy and diplomacy. She also replicated this initiative during her posting in Beirut. Sahar also provided a platform for women outside of diplomacy. One of the most recent events featured women reporters in conflict zones, highlighting the significance of international humanitarian law in conflicts.
Sahar firmly believes that her role as a diplomat is to give a voice to those who don’t have one and present a different narrative to the story.
Sahar holds a master’s degree in public and international Affairs from the University of Ottawa. She is currently pursuing an Executive master’s degree in international Strategy and Diplomacy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in London, UK.
Sahar gained multilateral experience working at the Canadian missions to the UN in Geneva (2011) and New York (2015), where she negotiated resolutions on various issues, including decolonization, the right of self-determination, and peacekeeping operations. Before joining the Foreign Service, Sahar also worked at the United Nations Programme for Development in post-revolution Tunisia, where she witnessed the drafting of a new constitution and the first free elections.
In 2017, Sahar was posted to the Embassy of Canada to Russia with concurrent accreditation to Armenia (2017-2021). She reported on Russia’s foreign policy, particularly its military intervention in Syria and the invasion of Ukraine. Sahar examined the impact of these conflicts on the world order. Sahar also covered the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and coordinated Canada’s political and humanitarian response. Sahar recently completed a three-year posting at the Embassy of Canada to Lebanon (2021-2024), where she focused on key political and security issues, notably the war in Gaza and its impact on Southern Lebanon.
In Moscow, Sahar took the lead in establishing the Women in Diplomacy Network, a platform designed to promote and support women in foreign policy and diplomacy. She also replicated this initiative during her posting in Beirut. Sahar also provided a platform for women outside of diplomacy. One of the most recent events featured women reporters in conflict zones, highlighting the significance of international humanitarian law in conflicts.
Sahar firmly believes that her role as a diplomat is to give a voice to those who don’t have one and present a different narrative to the story.
Sahar holds a master’s degree in public and international Affairs from the University of Ottawa. She is currently pursuing an Executive master’s degree in international Strategy and Diplomacy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in London, UK.
Benjamin Boutin
A graduate of Sciences Po Aix, Université Paris Saclay and École nationale d'administration publique du Québec, Benjamin Boutin is honorary president of “Francophonie sans frontières”, director of France-Canada, project manager for the French member association of the “Alliance G20 des Entrepreneurs”, member of the honorary committee of the “Association pour la Diffusion internationale francophone de livres, ouvrages et revues” (ADIFLOR), consultant, lecturer and associate lecturer at Université Jean Moulin Lyon III.
He has worked at France's Permanent Representation to the European Union, at the Centre de doctrine d'emploi des forces (now the Centre de doctrine et d'enseignement du commandement), at the Délégation aux affaires stratégiques (now the Direction générale des relations internationales et de la stratégie), at the French National Assembly (in the office of the deputy for Aisne, vice-chairman of the sustainable development commission and parliamentary secretary-general of La Francophonie), at the Quebec National Assembly (in the office of the leader of the official opposition) and at Radio-Canada. Associate researcher at the “Institut Prospective et Sécurité en Europe”, visiting professor at the “Centre d'études diplomatiques et internationales d'Haïti”, the “École des nouveaux métiers de la communication” and the “Université du Luxembourg”, he gives courses, seminars and lectures, and organizes and leads workshops, roundtables and symposia. He also appears in the media.
His areas of expertise and commitment are the Francophonie, Europe, geopolitics, political and parliamentary affairs, cultural dialogue, the cooperative movement and international cooperation for sustainable development and peace.
He has worked at France's Permanent Representation to the European Union, at the Centre de doctrine d'emploi des forces (now the Centre de doctrine et d'enseignement du commandement), at the Délégation aux affaires stratégiques (now the Direction générale des relations internationales et de la stratégie), at the French National Assembly (in the office of the deputy for Aisne, vice-chairman of the sustainable development commission and parliamentary secretary-general of La Francophonie), at the Quebec National Assembly (in the office of the leader of the official opposition) and at Radio-Canada. Associate researcher at the “Institut Prospective et Sécurité en Europe”, visiting professor at the “Centre d'études diplomatiques et internationales d'Haïti”, the “École des nouveaux métiers de la communication” and the “Université du Luxembourg”, he gives courses, seminars and lectures, and organizes and leads workshops, roundtables and symposia. He also appears in the media.
His areas of expertise and commitment are the Francophonie, Europe, geopolitics, political and parliamentary affairs, cultural dialogue, the cooperative movement and international cooperation for sustainable development and peace.
Jillian Boyd
Jillian Boyd is the Director of Digital Education at the National Judicial Institute (NJI). In Canada, the NJI is the primary provider of training services for the country’s 2,500 judges and continues to offer training programs and resources that help judges better serve the interests of Canadians. As an independent, judge-led organization, the NJI’s training program covers law, skills, and social context. Jillian is responsible for the online training program for Canadian judges, ensuring they have access to innovative, high-quality resources and on-demand products tailored to their needs, such as asynchronous self-paced courses, podcasts, webinars, resource centers, and electronic hearing binders.
Jillian is a bilingual lawyer and a member of the Ontario Bar. After completing her legal studies, she gained invaluable experience as a clerk to the Honourable Beverley McLachlin, then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and as a criminal and human rights lawyer at Scott & Oleskiw in Toronto. She is a Trudeau Foundation and Fulbright Scholar, holds a Master of Laws from Columbia University, and is an award-winning instructor at both Queen’s University Faculty of Law and Carleton University. Previously the Director of In-Person Education at the NJI, and with experience working with the NJI in international judicial training and institutional strengthening, Jillian brings to her role 15 years of experience working with judges, justice stakeholders, community members, academics, and experts in support of the rule of law and public confidence in our judicial system.
Jillian is a bilingual lawyer and a member of the Ontario Bar. After completing her legal studies, she gained invaluable experience as a clerk to the Honourable Beverley McLachlin, then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and as a criminal and human rights lawyer at Scott & Oleskiw in Toronto. She is a Trudeau Foundation and Fulbright Scholar, holds a Master of Laws from Columbia University, and is an award-winning instructor at both Queen’s University Faculty of Law and Carleton University. Previously the Director of In-Person Education at the NJI, and with experience working with the NJI in international judicial training and institutional strengthening, Jillian brings to her role 15 years of experience working with judges, justice stakeholders, community members, academics, and experts in support of the rule of law and public confidence in our judicial system.
Clara Laplante-Bédard
Adèle Gagnon Pelletier
Alexis Blondin-Bois
Lilya Ait Hammou
Clara Byk Girou
Mpabwa Christian
Julie Lavallée
Camille Côté
Samuel Despars
Fernanda Barrios Vega
Yanie St. Pierre
Stéphanie St. Jacques
bottom of page