Executive Board
The Executive Board guides the strategic development of the organisation. Board members serve as a fiduciary of the organisation’s assets. The Board is composed of experts in different fields of human rights.
Gianni Magazzeni (Italy) – President
Former UN Senior Official, Mr. Magazzeni was assistant to various Directors-General and Heads of the UN Human Rights Program in Geneva from 1987 to 1994, when he became Special Assistant to the First UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mr. Magazzeni served as Chief of the UPR Branch in the Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division (1 May 2017 to 30 April 2023), in OHCHR, Geneva.
He was previously OiC of the Field Operation and Technical Cooperation Division (2016-2017), Chief of the Americas, Europe and Central Asia Branch (2010 to 30 April 2017), Chief of the National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section (2007-2010) and Chief of the Human Rights Component of the United Nations Assistant Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), based in Baghdad (2006-2007). Mr. Magazzeni joined the UN in NYHQ and was Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs as of 1985. Mr Magazzeni graduated from Yale University, USA, (MA in International Relations in 1983). He had a Fellowship at the University of Bern, Switzerland, after his BA with Honours in Political Science at the University of Pisa and at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (1980).
Fernanda Lapa (Brazil) – Board Member
Fernanda Lapa is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Development and Human Rights - IDDH (@iddh.educar), a NGO with ECOSOC consultative status, established in 2004.
The Institute’s core mission is to promote human rights education across Latin America, with a particular emphasis on strengthening civic spaces through capacity-building on United Nations human rights mechanisms. Ms. Lapa has been actively engaged with the UPR process since its inception in 2006, playing a central role in coordinating national and regional UPR coalitions in Brazil and Latin America. She has authored some articles on the UPR and human rights education, including the recent publication: "UPR: A Practical Guide for Civil Society to Build National Coalitions" .
A lawyer by profession, Fernanda holds a Master’s degree in Law and a PhD in Education. She is also a Professor of Human Rights and currently holds the UNESCO Chair on Citizenship Education and Human Rights in Brazil. In recent years, she has been developing research and providing consulting services to government bodies and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), offering expert advice on the design and implementation of National Mechanisms for the Monitoring of International Obligations (NMIRFs/SIMOREs), with a specific focus on transparency, access to information, and civil society participation.
Patrick Wall (Australia) – Treasurer
Based in Geneva, Patrick is an independent consultant working at the intersection of international affairs and international law. His practice covers a wide range of issues, ranging from human rights and refugee protection to anticorruption and diplomatic strategy.
Patrick holds master’s degrees in international law (from the Geneva Graduate Institute) and diplomacy (from the Australian National University).