Structure & People

HURIDOCS is formally a nonprofit organisation registered in Geneva under Swiss law. However by nature, it is a network organisation:

  • Its members are organisations and persons interested in communication techniques and information handling in the human rights sector. They form the General Assembly, which meets every five years. The General Assembly defines the aims and sets the overall guidelines of HURIDOCS;
  • Its management board is the Continuation Committee, consisting of five to seven members coming from different geographic regions of the world. The Continuation Committee determines the programmes and activities of HURIDOCS;
  • International Advisory Council provides advice to the Continuation Commitee and Secretariat;
  • The Geneva-based Secretariat implements the strategy that is approved by the board, and handles the day-to-day activities of HURIDOCS: support and training, communications to the network, research and development of new tools.

Continuation Committee

The HURIDOCS board is called the Continuation Committee and is charged with the oversight of the HURIDOCS programme as approved by the General Assembly. Its composition reflects a wide range of skills and diverse backgrounds.A new Coordination Committee was elected at the General Assembly of 28 February 2009.

International Advisory Council

The International Advisory Council has 15-20 individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, who are all interested and competent in advising on how new methods and technologies fit into the context of human rights. The Council members provide guidance for the Continuation Committee and to the Secretariat in the implementation of HURIDOCS work.Consultations with the International Advisory Council ensures that HURIDOCS stays on the cutting edge of the current discussion in both the human rights and information management sectors. Our Continuation Committee and Secretariat keep well informed on the latest solutions and challenges and this boosts their capacity for implementing successful interventions for human rights organisations in need.

A new International Advisory Council was elected at the General Assembly of 28 February 2009.
  • Adama Dieng / Tanzania
  • Ibrahim Sarr / Senegal
  • André Titus / South Africa
  • Aurora Javate de Dios / Philippines
  • Adilur Rahman Khan / Bangladesh
  • Dan Brickley / United Kingdom
  • James Lawson / France
  • Tom Longley / United Kingdom
  • Hans Thoolen / Greece
  • Nelly Benilde Herrera Román / Ecuador
  • Luis Maria Lozano / Argentina
  • Aída María Noval / Mexico
  • Lucrecia Molina Theissen / Costa Rica
  • Nina Atallah / Palestine
  • Youssef El-Bouhairi / Morocco
  • Lars Bromley / United States
  • Judith Dueck / Canada
  • Sam Gregory / United States
  • William R. Pace / United States

Secretariat

The HURIDOCS Secretariat provides administrative support and facilitates collaborative activities for the network. its responsibilities include:

  • Provide training, advice and support to the members of the network
  • Coordinate development of tools and methodologies
  • Maintain an understanding of the information management needs of NGOs and explore for solutions.
  • Maintain a specialised on-line resource centre and help desk
  • Share and disseminate innovations and best practices
  • Daniel D’Esposito / Executive Director
  • Bert Verstappen / Programme Coordinator