Confirmed Speakers

Director-General of UNESCO since 2017, Audrey Azoulay launched a vast Strategic Transformation programme for the Organization with a view to position UNESCO at the heart of emerging challenges in the XXI century. In this spirit, the Director-General launched several major projects on the protection of cultural heritage, through the initiative “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” in Iraq, on the achievement of universal quality education, in particular for girls and women, as well as on UNESCO's role as a global laboratory of ideas on issues such as sustainable development and the ethics of artificial intelligence. A former student of the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, Audrey Azoulay is a graduate of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris and holds a Diploma of Business Administration from the University of Lancaster (United Kingdom). Active in the cultural sector from the outset of her career, she worked, among other things, on the financing of the French public audiovisual sector and on the reform and modernisation of the French public aid systems for the film industry. As the French Minister of Culture, she was very strongly committed to the protection of endangered heritage, particularly in the Middle East. She was also dedicated to the facilitation of children’s access to culture by launching artistic and cultural education programmes (the "Création en cours" programmes and innovative cultural infrastructures "Microfolies"). Audrey Azoulay is committed to positioning UNESCO as a platform for humanist cooperation, as a standards-producing arena and as an agency of experts that helps to disseminate knowledge and know-how throughout the world to the greatest number of people."

Maria Ressa is co-founder and CEO of Rappler. In October 2021, she was one of two journalists awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She was also awarded the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize in 2021. Maria Ressa was appointed by the UN Secretary General to serve in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Leadership Panel, for 2022–2023. The panel consists of 10 high-level prominent persons in the field of digital policy. 

Carole Cadwalladr is a renowned Pulitzer-nominated journalist for the Guardian, feature writer for the Observer, and Cambridge Analytica investigator. She formerly worked at The Daily Telegraph, and was nominated for numerous Press Awards.

Cadwalladr was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for National Reporting in 2019, receiving praise upon her investigation and coverage into Cambridge Analytica and its role in Brexit. In April 2019, Cadwalladr gave a TED talk, “Facebook’s role in Brexit – and the threats to democracy”, regarding her the links found between Facebook and the Brexit election.  This talk led to worldwide acclaim but it also sparked a three year long lawsuit which was won by Carole in June 2022.  This case was one of several brought against her and other leading journalists and they are thought to be motivated by powerful individuals and firms to tie up the press in expensive and time consuming legal defenses (these are called SLAPP suits). She was featured in the acclaimed Netflix documentary ‘The Great Hack‘ and has won other awards, including the British Journalism Awards: Technology Journalism Award in December 2017 and The Orwell Prize for political journalism in 2018. She is the author of The Family Tree, published in 2006 and was shortlisted for the 2006 Commonwealth Writers Prize.  She is currently at work on a new book

Melissa Fleming is Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications at the United Nations. In this role, Ms. Fleming oversees the UN’s strategic communications operations, including its multilingual news and digital media services, public outreach programmes, and global campaigns. Under her leadership, the UN Department of Global Communications engages in advocacy for a healthy information ecosystem, promoting independent media and information integrity on digital platforms. Previously, Ms. Fleming served at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) as its Head of Global Communications. Before that, she worked in senior communications roles for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Ms. Fleming is a TED speaker, the author of the book, A Hope More Powerful than the Sea, and the host of the award-winning UN podcast, Awake at Night.

Owner of one the most successful Youtube channel in Brazil, with over 44 million subscribers, Felipe Neto became one of the most important and prominent voice in favor of the democracy in the country. He already stood out as the second most viewed Youtuber in the world and also listed on the American magazine “TIME” as one of the 100 most influential people on the planet. Idealized and founded the VERO Institute, a organization focused on developing digital education projects and stopping the fake news online. In 2021, he also created the initiative “Cala Boca Já Morreu”, which seeks to guarantee the individual rights of citizens, defend freedom of expression and public manifestation or criticism towards any public authority. The journal The New York Times, on the same year, published a video about Neto’s critics regarding ex-president Jair Bolsonaro and the Coronavirus crisis in Brazil. Recently, reached over 200 million views on videos in which he denies fake news during the Brazilian election period.

Patrícia Campos Mello is a reporter at large and columnist at Folha de São Paulo newspaper. She has been awarded the Columbia University Maria Moors Cabot award in 2020, and the International Press Freedom Award of the Committee to Protect Journalists in 2019. Since 2014, she has been investigating influence operations and the use of WhatsApp and social media to spread political disinformation. Her stories led the Judiciary system in Brazil to change electoral regulations. She is the author of the book "A máquina do ódio", about disinformation campaigns by populist leaders in Brazil, India, and the US. 

Christophe Deloire has been secretary-general and executive director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) since 2012. He is also the chair of the Forum on Information and Democracy, which is the implementation body of the Partnership on Information and Democracy, signed by 50 countries. He ran one of the leading French journalism schools, the CFJ, from 2008 to 2012. He was previously an investigative reporter for the French news magazine Le Point from 1998 to 2007. He has also worked for the TV channels ARTE and TF1, made documentary films, edited several authors and published many bestselling books.

Helani Galpaya is Chief Executive Officer of LIRNEasia, a pro-poor, pro-market think tank working on digital policy issues across the Asia Pacific.  Helani’s research and policy influence work centers around digital inclusion, platform and content regulation, data and algorithmic justice, digitalization towards economic development. Helani serves on the Board of Editors of the Information Technology and International Development journal, is on the Board of Directors of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), and a member of the Working Group on Innovation and Commercialisation of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI). She was a member of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) of the UN Internet Governance Forum, the Advisory Board of the Harnessing and Sharing Economy for Local Development initiative of the Centre for Implementation of Public Policies promoting Equity and Growth (CIPPEC), Argentina and an Advisor to the UN Broadband Commission’s Working Group on Bridging the Gender Divide.

Advocate Pansy Tlakula studied law at the University of the Witwatersrand before completing her Masters in Law at Harvard University. She has held several influential positions. Advocate Tlakula was a member of the South African Human Rights Commission from 1995 until 2002. She was appointed as the Chief Electoral Officer of the Electoral Commission of South Africa in 2002 until 2011. In 2011 she was appointed as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa until 2014. She was appointed in 2005 as a member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). She served the ACHRC for 12 years, until November 2017. She held the mandates of Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, Chairperson of the Working Group on Specific Issues related to the work of the African Commission, and, between 2015 and 2017, she served as Chairperson of the ACHRC. In January 2020 she started her four-year tenure as a member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. She was the Chancellor of the Vaal University of Technology from 2010 until 2014.

Nizar is member of PwC global leadership team of Government and Public Services, is the Global Digital Leader G&PS and Partner within PwC, France & Maghreb in charge of International Development with international institutions. Former Minister of Finance of the Republic of Tunisia, Nizar has 25 years of experience working in the fields of finance, industry, new technologies, digital transformation, public sector strengthening and business modernization, and operates at the global level.

Christopher Sharrock is the is the Vice President of United Nations and International Organizations at Microsoft, based in Paris.  Launched in 2020, the team has continued to demonstrate not only the value of multistakeholderism, but how it can be harnessed to advance solutions to global challenges.
Mr. Sharrock is committed to strengthening partnerships across key organizations and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals as we work to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Previously, he led work to establish a Data Science strategy at HM Treasury in the United Kingdom and spent 5 years as the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative, and Dean of the Ambassadors, at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and International Energy Agency in Paris.  Prior senior roles include Deputy Director of Debt and Reserves Management at HM Treasury, and Chief Economist at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Mr. Sharrock has worked across domestic, financial, European Union and International policy, including in the Private Office of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Before joining the UK Civil Service, he taught in schools in the United Kingdom. In August 2022, Mr. Sharrock joined United States Council for International Business’s Board of Directors.

Mira Milosevic has led the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), the largest global community for the media development and journalism support sector, since 2017. As Executive Director, she leads GFMD’s engagement with institutions and actors whose policies and practices impact the ability of journalism to sustain as a public good. Through her speaking, writing, and strategic engagement with the UN (inc. UNESCO, ECOSOC, and Internet Governance Forum, where GFMD is facilitating the Dynamic Coalition on the Sustainability of Journalism and News Media), the OECD, OSCE, Media Freedom Coalition, and others, Mira ensures that the evidence for “why” and “how” to support independent media -- and its intersection with the economy, technology, and human rights -- is heard and acted upon. Before joining GFMD, she authored the World Press Trends reports, the most authoritative global source of data and analysis on the international news publishing industry.

Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO since 2021, Dr. Tawfik Jelassi is responsible for UNESCO’s programs on fostering freedom of expression, leading digital transformation, strategizing the role of ICT in education, and building inclusive knowledge societies. He holds a Ph.D. doctorate in Management Information Systems from New York University and postgraduate diplomas from the University of Paris Dauphine. Former Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Information & Communication Technologies in Tunisia as well as Dean and Professor, he has extensive international experience in higher education, scientific research, and digital technologies.

Andrew Puddephatt is an internet policy expert who focuses on the intersection of internet policy and human rights. A long-term consultant to UNESCO, he is the founder Director of Global Partners & Associates Ltd a social purpose company that promotes democracy and human rights online. He chairs the Internet Watch Foundation, a charity registered in the UK that works with the internet industry to remove child sex abuse images online and also chairs International Media Support, a Danish based NGO that promotes independent media in conflict zones. He is the Deputy Chair of the philanthropic foundation the Sigrid Rausing Trust. In 2003 he was awarded an OBE for services to human rights.

Ian is Vice-president of International News of The Associated Press. He is designing a company strategy for crisis management, risk analysis, government relations and journalist safety. He has worked around the world as a reporter, editor and manager for almost three decades, leading teams covering the rise of the Islamic State group, wars in Gaza, Libya, Yemen and Ukraine, global economic turmoil and the COVID-19 pandemic. He has interviewed world leaders such as Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Syria's Bashar al-Assad, Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and Egypt's Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. He thrives in crisis resolution situations and in recent years helped secure the release of journalists jailed in China, Myanmar and Ethiopia. Previous posts include running AP’s news coverage of the Middle East, from Cairo, and east-central Europe, from Prague.

Ambassador Thomas Schneider is leading the Swiss delegation in various fora in the field of digital and internet governance, including AI. He is the chair of the Council of Europe’s Committee on AI (CAI), mandated to negotiate a binding convention on AI. He has been a co-initiator of EuroDIG and is the president of its Support Association, since 2012. He is a bureau member of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (he was its chair in 2018-19 and vice-chair in 2020-21). He has also been a member of the bureau of the CoE’s Ad Hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence in 2019-2021. From 2014-2017, he was the chair of ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee and in this role negotiated the compromise among governments regarding the “IANA Stewardship transition”, the biggest reform in the ICANN system. He was a vice-chair of the OECD’s Committee for Digital Economy Policy (2020-2022). He was responsible for the organization of the 12^th UN IGF in Geneva in 2017 co-chair of the IGF’s Multistakeholder Advisory Group in 2017. He participated in the meetings of the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on Digital Cooperation, as personal advisor of Swiss president Doris Leuthard (2018-2019). Since 2003, he has been coordinating the Swiss activities with regard to the follow-up of the UN World Summit on the Information Society.

President of the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA) since December 3, 2018. From 2007 to 2018, she held several positions in the Moroccan diplomacy: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Republic of Tunisia and Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. She holds a doctorate in Information and Communication Sciences. She has also held the position of Director of the National Radio and Director of the Higher Institute of Information and Communication where she was a professor-researcher for more than 20 years. She also has a long experience as an international consultant in the field of journalism, communication and training of journalists. She has published several articles, studies and books on media, communication and women's rights.
 

Alison Gillwald (PhD) is the Executive Director of Research ICT Africa (RIA) an African digital policy and regulatory think-tank that works across 20 African countries. She is currently also an adjunct professor at the University of Cape Town’s Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance where she convenes a doctoral programme in the Digital Economy and Society in Africa and professional development and executive training for policymakers, regulators and parliamentarians in the areas of policy, regulation and data governance. She has extensive institutional design and organisational transformation experience having been appointed by Parliament to the founding Council of the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA) in 1997, after establishing the policy department in the first broadcasting regulator, the Independent Broadcasting Authority in 1994. Her corporate governance experience extends to the public, private and non-governmental sectors. She has served on the board of the public broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation; AVUSA, one of the largest listed media and lifestyle company on the JSE; Womensnet and the Media Monitoring Africa (Project).

Bertrand de La Chapelle is the Executive Director and Co-founder of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network and Co-Founder and Chief Vision Officer at the Datasphere Initiative. He has been a determined promoter and pioneering implementer of multi-stakeholder governance processes for more than 15 years, building upon his diversified experience as a career diplomat, civil society actor and tech entrepreneur. He was previously a Director on the ICANN Board (2010-2013), France's Thematic Ambassador and Special Envoy for the Information Society (2006-2010) and an active participant in the World Summit on the Information Society (2002-2005), where he promoted dialogue among civil society, private sector and governments. 

Emma Bates is the CEO and co-founder of Diem, and a founding member of the Collective Media movement. Diem is a social search engine inspired by the way women have shared stories for centuries. The Collective Media movement describes digital, social spaces that unlock deeper connection, greater utility, and freer play. A lifelong advocate for gender equity and equality, Emma is on a mission to showcase how inclusive internet platforms that recognize real world behavior, like Diem, can help close the gender information gap, and usher in a "new internet" that fosters real connection through new, innovative technology. Emma is a Forbes 30u30 nominee and Diem is a Techstars NYC portfolio company backed by leading investors like Flybridge, Acrew & Stellation. By trade, Emma is a marketer and community builder and has held marketing roles at some of the fastest-growing consumer brands in NYC and the UK. Most recently, prior to founding Diem, Emma led Partnerships at the DTC travel brand, Away.

A staff writer on TIME magazine's business and tech team. He focuses on telling stories about how new technologies are interacting with older power structures to change politics and societies around the world. His reporting often focuses on companies that struggle to balance their business priorities with keeping people safe. Billy Perrigo was shortlisted for the 2022 Orwell Prize for Journalism for my investigative reporting on Facebook in Africa and the traumatic working conditions faced by low-paid workers there. That story led to an ongoing lawsuit against Facebook and its contractor Sama in Kenya. His reporting focuses on AI from above, in wide-ranging interviews with the field's most influential CEOs, and from below, in deep investigations into the hidden exploitative labor that AI often relies on. Previously,  he was a reporter on TIME's international team. 

Daniel Motaung is a former Facebook content moderator who blew the whistle on poor working conditions at Facebook’s Kenyan outsourcing company, Sama. When Daniel tried organizing over 100 of his colleagues for better working conditions in 2019, Sama fired him. In 2022, Daniel filed a lawsuit against both Facebook and Sama, aiming to hold them accountable for labor exploitation and union-busting. Daniel’s story was featured on the front cover of TIME in February 2022, titled "Inside Facebook's African Sweatshop.” At the end of last year, he was named a TIME100 Next awardee for his leadership and for putting “a face on the otherwise invisible human cost of moderating social media.” He continues to advocate for fairer wages and working conditions for content moderators internationally, including in the UK.

Joseph Ailonga well known as Jossy Joss is a veteran broadcaster and freedom of expression advocate with 24 years of radio experience having worked as a radio presenter, manager, voice over artist and technical advisor. Former Station Manager of Energy 100FM,former Editors Forum of Namibia (EFN) chairperson and former Broadcast Manager at The Namibian. He was responsible for the technical and studio designs in the setup of two radio stations in Namibia, namely Eagle FM in 2019 and Desert Radio in 2021.He was also responsible for setting up the online broadcast department of The Namibian the biggest daily in Namibia. Currently The Namibian's Broadcast Consultant, Secretary General of the Southern Africa Editor's Forum (SAEF) and a partner in Plug Media (Plug Namibia) a newly established online platform that will be telling the Namibian story especially in the area of mining, green hydrogen and oil, as Namibia has now discovered oil.

Irene Khan is the first woman to be appointed as UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression. She was Secretary General of Amnesty International from 2001 to 2009 and Director General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) from 2012 – 2019. An internationally recognized advocate for human rights, gender equality and social justice, she is Distinguished Fellow at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

Honourable Commissioner Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo, a national of Mauritius, was elected as a member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in October 2021 and sworn into office on 15 November 2021. She is the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa; Vice-Chairperson of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights Violations in Africa; Member of the Working Group on the Death Penalty, Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killings and Enforced Disappearances in Africa; and member of the Resolutions Committee. She is a lawyer with great expertise in International Maritime Law. She currently works as a Parliamentary Counsel in the Attorney General’s Office. Her areas of experience include representing the State in court cases, tendering advice to various Ministries and drafting legislation. Honourable Topsy-Sonoo works in English but is also highly proficient in French.

Teresa Ribeiro, of Portugal, is the fifth Representative on Freedom of the Media. Prior to this position, she was Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, while serving as President of the National Commission for Human Rights. She was also Secretary of State for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal and Deputy Secretary General at the Union for the Mediterranean, positions that gave her extensive experience in dealing with the EU institutions and Member States, as well as with its close neighbourhood. Throughout her career, Teresa Ribeiro has held different positions in media such as President of the Institute of the Media of Portugal, Chairperson of the Steering Committee on Mass Media of the Council of Europe, as well as co-founder and first elected President of the Executive Board of Obercom – Media Observatory. She holds a degree in Philosophy from the University of Lisbon.

Pedro Vaca Villarreal is the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). He is a Colombian lawyer with a Master's degree in Law and a Specialization in Constitutional Law. With more than 12 years of professional experience in the field of human rights, Mr. Vaca has led regional processes in the defense of freedom of expression from positions of responsibility. Prior to his appointment as Special Rapporteur, he served for seven years as Executive Director of the Foundation for Freedom of the Press (FLIP) in Colombia.

Churchill Otieno, a leading journalist with 21 years’ of experience in digital media, is the President of Kenya Editors’ Guild and the chairman of the Eastern Africa Editors' Society. He specializes in newsroom leadership, media innovation and digital transformation. He served Nation Media Group for 12 years as a Managing Editor/Head of Digital where he led the creation of award-winning journalism products and is currently involved in various projects to enable new media business models as a way of securing and sustaining public interest journalism in Africa. Churchill is a key promoter of media freedom and ethical journalism in Africa and is currently working to encourage professional solidarity and excellence as a way of encouraging sustainable journalism.

Brandon Silverman is an entrepreneur, technologist and advocate for more transparency on social media. He was the co-founder and CEO of CrowdTangle, a social analytics tool that the New York Times called “perhaps the most effective transparency tool in the history of social media”. CrowdTangle was acquired by Meta in 2016 and Brandon continued to lead it until 2020 when he left over a debate over how much information the company should make public about its platform. Since then, he has been working with legislators and civil society organizations around the world to help design regulation that would require large online platforms to share more data about what's happening on their platforms in real-time. 

After having acted for two years as Vice-Chair of ERGA (European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services), Karim Ibourki has been elected as ERGA Chair from 2021 to 2022. Since November 2017, he is the Chair of CSA (Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel). He holds a Bachelor Degree in Law from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. He also obtained, from the same University, two Master of Science: one in Journalism and Communication and another one in Political Science. Before to join the CSA, he was Chief of Staff of the Cabinet of the Minister President of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (2012-2015) and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Cabinet Chief of Staff of the Cabinet of the Minister President of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (2007-2012).

Nighat Dad is a Pakistani lawyer She is the founder of Digital Rights Foundation, a charity organisation focused on cyber harassment, data protection and free speech online in Pakistan and South Asia and an inaugural member of the Oversight Board, which since 2020 has been working to better protect freedom of expression on Meta’s platforms by making principled, independent decisions about important pieces of content. She is a feminist and pioneer for women’s rights activism in Pakistan, Dad has raised awareness of Pakistani patriarchy and illuminated her own experience as a women engaged in digital rights activism. Her accomplishments include being named a Next Generation Leader by Time Magazine in 2015, the Dutch Human Rights Tulip Award in 2016, a TED Global Fellowship in 2017 and nomination as a Young Global Leader by World Economic Forum in 2018, as well as being listed among 2019’s 21 Young Leaders from Asia by Asia Society.

 Ojoma Ochai is the Managing Partner of the Creative Economy Practice at CcHUB, an organisation focused on boosting value and tech use in Africa's creative economies through research, advocacy, ecosystem development, investment readiness programs, and investments. With 17+ years' experience working with organizations like British Council, World Bank, and UNESCO, she has a deep understanding of creative economy development policies.
Ojoma is also a member of the UNESCO Expert Panel on the 2005 Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and sits on multiple boards, including the Africa Technology and Creative Group (a network of technology and creative sector organisations promoting intra African trade) and ₿Trust, backed by Jack Dorsey and Jay Z to support Bitcoin Open Source development in the Global South.

Alexandria is the global policy lead for human rights and free expression at Google. Alexandria is responsible for coordinating and driving the company-wide human rights strategy, using approaches grounded in business and human rights. Based in Washington, DC, Alexandria coordinates policy and strategy on a broad portfolio of issues including human rights, freedom of expression, and controversial content, including hate and harassment. She also represents Google at the Global Network Initiative (GNI) and Freedom Online Coalition Advisory Network. Prior to joining Google, Alexandria was a Director at The Raben Group, where her work focused on civil rights, women’s rights, criminal justice reform, transparency, and judicial issues. Alexandria worked on various human rights issues in her time with Center for American Progress; U.S. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, and U.S. House of Representatives in the Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights & Liberties; U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; U.S. Department of Labor; and Bay Area Legal Aid. After law school she was also a Georgetown Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow.

Věra Jourová is currently Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency and deals with democracy, rule of law, media pluralism and fight against disinformation. From 2014 to 2019, she served as EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality. In 2014, before arriving to the European Commission, Ms Jourová held the position of Minister for Regional Development in the Czech Republic. Previous to this, from 2006 to 2013, she worked in her own company as an international consultant on European Union funding, and was also involved in consultancy activities in the Western Balkans relating to the European Union Accession. She holds a Degree in Law (Mgr.) and a Master's degree (Mgr.) in the Theory of Culture from the Charles University, Prague.

Natalia Antelava is a co-founder and editor-in-chief of Coda Story, an award-winning newsroom that covers the roots of global crises. Originally from Tbilisi, Georgia Natalia started her journalism career in West Africa and had been BBC's resident correspondent in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East, Washington DC and India. She has covered wars in Georgia, Ukraine and Iraq and reported undercover from Myanmar, Yemen and Uzbekistan. Her investigations into human rights abuses in Central Asia, Iraq and the United States have won her a number of awards. Natalia has also written for the Guardian, Forbes magazine, New Yorker and CNN. She is the author of Coda's weekly Disinfo Matters newsletter and the host of a narrative podcast Undercurrents: Tech, Tyrants and Us, Coda’s collaboration with Audible which tells stories of people whose lives were turned upside down when digital technology collided with the tyrants.  

Conseiller du Ministre de la Culture, du Président de la République, président du Centre national du cinéma (CNC), de Garandeau consulting, Eric est depuis septembre 2020 le directeur des affaires publiques de TikTok en France. Au CNC il lance le Jour le Plus Court, l’Aide au Cinéma du Monde, le plan de numérisation des salles de cinéma et de restauration-numérisation des films de patrimoine. Avec le violoniste David Grimal il crée l’orchestre symphonique Les Dissonances qu’il préside (avec l’académie Lumières d’Europe en son sein). Il a aussi publié deux romans chez Albin Michel, Tapis Rouge (2019) et Galerie des Glaces (2021). Au sein de Tiktok il gère les relations avec les pouvoirs publics et organise notamment les partenariats avec les institutions culturelles : Château de Versailles, Musée d’Orsay, Grand Palais - Réunion des Musées nationaux, festival international du film de Cannes (incluant la compétition #TikTokShortFilm qui totalise 9 milliards de vues), festival du livre de Paris, etc.

Catalina Botero Marino is a lawyer, Chair of the UNESCO Chair on Freedom of Expression at Universidad de Los Andes, co-chair of the Oversight Board of Meta and leading member of Columbia University's Columbia Global Freedom of Expression. She is a member of the external transparency panel of the Inter-American Development Bank, commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists and vice-chair of the Advisory Board of the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI). She is an adjunct professor at American University's Human Rights Academy and visiting professor at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law. She was Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights/OAS, Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Universidad de Los Andes, and an Associate Judge of the Constitutional Court and of the Council of State in Colombia.

Engineer Diaby Moustapha Mamy is currently the Senior Advisor, ICT and Digital Transformation at the Office of the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission. He is a former Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and the digital economy in the Republic of Guinea where he also a Minister, Special Advisor to the President. He has previously been the President of the African ICT Ministers consul in the framework of the Smart Africa Alliance and the Director-General of Posts and Telecommunications regulatory authority of Guinea (ARPT), as well as the President of world French speaking Telecommunications/ICT regulators forum (FRATEL). Eng. Moustapha is an Expert in ICT Project Management, Regulation and Digital Transformation and has been a consultant and lecturer at Ecole Supérieure Multinationale des Télécommunication (ESMT)

David Kaye is a professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, and director of its International Justice Clinic. From 2014 – 2020 he served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. He is also the author of Speech Police: The Global Struggle to Govern the Internet (2019), Independent Chair of the Board of the Global Network Initiative, and a Trustee of ARTICLE 19. He writes regularly for international and American law journals and media outlets. David began his legal career with the U.S. State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and is a former member of the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law.

Christopher Wylie is a Canadian-born data scientist known for his role as a whistleblower in the Facebook – Cambridge Analytica scandal. Wylie started his career originally working at senior levels of the Canadian and British governments where he managed large scale data systems. He was recruited to work at the defence contractor SCL Group, later re-named Cambridge Analytica. Wylie left the firm and worked with The Guardian and New York Times to expose CA’s role on the Trump campaign and its misuse of Facebook data. This led to a historic $5 billion sanction against Facebook from the FTC and SEC. Wylie has testified at the US Congress five times and advises governments on AI policy. His bestselling book “Mindf*ck” documents the evolution of cyber warfare and disinformation on social media platforms. Wylie has been listed in TIME 100, Forbes 30 Under 30 and Business Insider’s 100 Most Influential People in Tech.

Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali founded in 2007 the Jordan Media Institute (JMI), a non-profit institution whose aim is to establish an Arab center of excellence for journalism education with a Master’s program at its core and training-modules in parallel. She has also been a member of the Board of Commissioners of the Royal Film Commission - Jordan since July 2005. And she is the president of the Amman International Film Festival “AIFF” Awal Film since 2017. Prior to marrying HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Princess Rym worked extensively for international broadcasters including CNN, where she began as a producer in 1998 and later worked as a Baghdad correspondent from 2001 until 2004. She had developed her portfolio working for the BBC, Dubai TV, Bloomberg TV, Radio Monte-Carlo Moyen-Orient, and United Press International-UPI.

Julie Inman Grant is Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, the world’s first government regulatory agency committed to keeping its citizens safer online. Before commencing in this role in January 2017, Commissioner Inman Grant spent two decades working in senior public policy and safety roles in the tech industry at Microsoft, Twitter and Adobe.

Damar Juniarto is a prominent human rights activist who is known for his work on digital rights and online freedom of expression in the Southeast Asia region. Since 2013, he has been the Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet), a regional organization focused on promoting and protecting digital rights in Southeast Asian countries. Damar also serves as Advisor at DigitalReach, a regional organization that looks into the impact of technology on human rights in Southeast Asia. In 2022, an international nonprofit journalism organization Rest of the World has identified him as one of the 100 people outside the West whose efforts impact more people than anyone in Silicon Valley and put his name on 2022 RoW100 Global Tech’s Changemakers list.

Caleb is a specialist in Information Communication and Technology for Development (ICT4D) and works as the Africa Lead at Build Up. He has over 10 years’ experience in applying technology to peacebuilding approaches to address violent conflict in Africa. He has researched and applied various digital tools to address election violence, good governance, violent extremism and conflict mitigation. Caleb has extensive experience working on hate speech, misinformation/disinformation and incitement to violence. He has collaborated with various actors to develop and implement conflict early warning and response systems, digitally map conflict, identify and monitor hate speech online, develop training modules on digital engagement in conflict contexts and monitor multiple elections in Africa. He holds a Bsc in Information Technologies and a Master’s in Information Communication and Technology for Development from the University of Manchester.

Amalia Toledo works as a Public Policy Specialist for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Wikimedia Foundation.. She has dedicated her career to examining how technology developments and policies affect the realization of human rights and gender equality. She has honed her skills in advocacy and research project coordination roles for nonprofit and international organizations, helping to build programs that seek to advance gender equality, promote freedom of expression, and protect high-risk groups such as journalists and human rights defenders.

Dr. Dilara Begum is Associate Professor and Chairperson, Department of Information Studies and Librarian (In-Charge) at East West University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She was a former fellow of IFLA, ALP (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand). She has more than 21 years of experiences in research, teaching, and information management. She has been elected as Professional Division Committee Chair-C and Asia Oceania Regional Division Committee member of International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) for 2021-2023. Beside these, she has served in numerous significant and diversified roles including General Secretary, DLNetSA, Country Coordinator of Information Literacy Consortium sponsored by UNESCO etc. She was also the President (Acting) of Library Association of Bangladesh (LAB) in 2011. She has more than Fifty (50) national and international publications. She is considered one of the pioneers of Digital Library building in Bangladesh and as well as an international expert on the mentioned field.

Guilherme Canela holds the position of chief of the section of Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. For 8 years, he held the position of Communication and Information Regional Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean at UNESCO Montevideo Office. During those years, he performed as Regional Coordinator of the UNESCO Initiative for the Promotion of Democracy and Freedom of Expression in judicial systems in Latin America. He was also the Secretary of the Regional Committee of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, and focal point of the Organization for issues related to the safety of journalists. He has a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Brasília (UNB) and a Master’s Degree on Political Science from the University of São Paulo (USP). For 8 years (2000-2008), Guilherme coordinated the media and journalism research area of the News Agency for Children’s Rights (ANDI). In this period, he was responsible for several surveys that evaluated the news media coverage on issues such as children’s education, rights, violence, health, sexual abuse, human and social development, drugs, participatory democracy, entrepreneurial social responsibility, human rights, among others.

Henri Verdier is Ambassador for Digital Affairs for the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Previously, he was the interministerial director for digital information and communications systems (DG Dinsic) of France; and director of Etalab, the French agency for public open data. Mr Verdier is also an entrepreneur: he was the co-founder and CEO of MFG Labs, an internet-based startup involved in social data mining, and chairman of the board of Cap Digital, the French-European Cluster for Digital Content and Services, located in Paris. He is member of the ARCEP strategic committee, member of the CNIL strategic committee and also served as member of the board of ParisSorbonne University. In addition, Mr Verdier was the founding director of Edition Odile Jacob Multimedia, a publishing company in the field of e-learning and executive adviser for innovation at Lagardère Group as well as director of foresight at Institut Telecom. In 2012, he co-authored, with Nicolas Colin, the book, L'Age de la Multitude, Entreprendre et Gouverner Après la Révolution Numérique (The Age of Multitude, Entrepreneurship and Governance After the Digital Revolution). Mr Verdier is a graduate of Ecole Normale Supérieure.

Charlotte Ernst is an Austrian born advertising professional with a passion for creative thinking and storytelling. Growing up in an entrepreneurial environment in Vienna, Austria, she developed a keen interest in the constantly evolving digital field. After graduating from high school in 2019, Charlotte pursued her passion for advertising, learning to think critically and outside the box. She began her career doing content creation and social media management for a Swiss bag brand while still in school. Since 2022, Charlotte has been working as a SEO Manager at an agency, leveraging her knowledge of digital marketing to drive results for her clients. Charlotte is a natural explorer, and she loves meeting people from around the world who ask interesting questions. 

Arsham Edalatkhah  Is a 20 years old student, currently attending the senior year of the Higher Technical College Leonding, in Software Engineering. His favorite subjects are Programming, English and Sports. He volunteered for different events at school, for instance the trial programming, where they teach programming basics to middle school students. Besides that, he holds lectures at a local middle school NMS Hart about social competence and the art of communication. Arsham has also completed peer training, which allows him to provide tutoring to junior students at HTL Leonding. Arsham is the founder of the Creative Masterminds Club in Leonding with currently 60+ members. He hosts a variety of workshops to teach other students a wide range of creative skills from radio training courses to presentation techniques. Arsham also co-founded a social matchmaking platform called “Nochba” (neighbour in Austrian dialect). He is originally from the I.R. Iran.

V Spehar, aka @underthedesknews, is a podcast & online personality who provides daily wrap ups of current events, political analysis, and special interest stories “explained." They’ve crafted a safe space for compassionate news, and their programs aim to make news media less intimidating to watch and easier to understand.

Before founding The Markup, she led investigative teams at ProPublica and The Wall Street Journal. She is the author of “Dragnet Nation: A Quest for Privacy, Security and Freedom in a World of Relentless Surveillance,” (Times Books, 2014) and “Stealing MySpace: The Battle to Control the Most Popular Website in America” (Random House, March 2009). She has a B.A. in mathematics from The University of Chicago and an MBA from Columbia University.

 Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh is the Minister of Digital Transformation of the Republic of Slovenia. She  completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Informatics of the University of Maribor. In the past, she managed the 4PDIH Digital Innovation Hub – a partnership between the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Association of Municipalities of Slovenia that raises awareness of the importance of digitalization, provides support in the development of digital knowledge and skills, and helps decision makers design appropriate digitalization policies. Her work in research and development focused on the use of new digital technologies for innovation in and the development of cities, villages and communities, digital innovation hubs, rural development and digital transformation. She is strongly committed to increasing the number of young people studying engineering – especially women. She is author and co-author of a number of scientific and professional publications concerning digital transformation.

Dr. Lina Oueidat is National Cyber Crime Focal Point decision member of the national Comity for Cyber Crime (General Secretariat of the High Council of Defense) She is also a Professor at the Lebanese University – faculty of Engineering. Dr. Lina is also an Advisor to the Prime Minister. Advisor to the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, PCM, Beirut Municipality Ministry of health, WHO, Ministry of Energy –Water sector, World bank, IDB, KFAED, on Government Information Systems and Digital transformation & Public administration modernization Expert in Government Information Systems, GIS, Security Systems, Modern Telecommunication Systems, Biometric Systems, Health Information Systems, MIS and Public Administration.

‘Gbenga Sesan is the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African social enterprise working on digital inclusion and digital rights. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Digital Civil Society Lab at Stanford University.

Demi Getschko has been involved in international networking since 1987 and took part on the team that established the first Internet connection to Brazil. He has been a member of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) since its creation in 1995. He played a critical role in the definition of the Brazilian DNS tree and in defining the rules that govern the Brazilian registry. Founding member of ISOC Brasil (Internet Society in Brazil), 1995. He was selected for the ICANN Board by the ccNSO - Country Code Names Supporting Organization - in 2005. Currently he works as Associate Professor in Computing Architecture at Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP), a Board Member of CGI.br and CEO of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br). In 2014 he was elected the first Brazilian to appear on the Hall of Fame of the Internet to "Global Connectors" category for his "key role in establishing the first Internet connection in Brazil." The ceremony was held in Hong Kong by the Internet Society. He has been awarded the Cristina Tavares Prize, by the Brazilian Computer Society and the "Personality of Technology in 2014" Prize by SEESP (Engineering Union of São Paulo State) in the category "Internet" in recognition of scientific and technological work and its dedication and commitment to the country development. He was admitted to the Communications Merit Order at the “Officer Degree” as a way of acknowledging his relevant services rendered to Communications.

Dr. Rumman Chowdhury’s passion lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence and humanity. She is a pioneer in the field of applied algorithmic ethics, creating cutting-edge socio-technical solutions for ethical, explainable and transparent AI. She is an active contributor to discourse around responsible technology with bylines in the Atlantic, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, MIT Technology Review and VentureBeat. Dr. Chowdhury currently runs Parity Consulting, Parity Responsible Innovation Fund, and is a Responsible AI Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. She is also a Research Affiliate at the Minderoo Center for Democracy and Technology at Cambridge University and a visiting researcher at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering.

Prabhat Agarwal is the Head of the ‘Digital Services (Programme Office & Societal aspects)’ Unit at the European Commission's DG CONNECT, responsible amongst other for regulatory initiatives such as the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act (the latter jointly with DG Competition). Prior to joining the Commission, Prabhat Agarwal worked on micro and nano-technologies in the private sector. Prabhat Agarwal holds a PhD on Condensed Matter Physics from the University of Cambridge, and lives in Brussels.

Mexico's National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Personal Data Protection (INAI) President Commissioner and Chair of the Network for Transparency and Access to Information. Blanca Lilia Ibarra is a journalist, promoter of the development and respect for women’s rights and has extensive experience in public service, where she has worked at all three levels of government and the three branches at the federal level. She held management positions in the media sector, such as having been Director of the Television Channel of the Congress of the Mexican State and Director of Information to State Media of the Presidency of the Republic. In 2018, she was elected Commissioner of the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Personal Data Protection (INAI) and, since December 2020, she is INAI’s President Commissioner, which holds the Chair of the Network for Transparency and Access to Information, the International Conference of Information Commissioners, and the Global Privacy Assembly.  

Camilla Bustani is Director, International at Ofcom, the UK’s converged communications regulator, where she is responsible for Ofcom’s international strategy across the sectors it regulates. She has been actively engaged in European and global regulatory debates in the communications sectors for the last 16 years, prior to which she worked as a lawyer in the communications, media and technology practice at Clifford Chance LLP in London for 8 years. She has a bachelors’ degree from Harvard University and a masters’ degree from Columbia University, and a law degree from Oxford University.

Roch-Olivier Maistre, President of the French National Audiovisual Regulatory Authority (CSA), appointed by the President of the Republic. Chamber President at the Cour des comptes and General Rapporteur of the latter’s public report and programmes committee, Roch-Olivier Maistre assumed his duties as President of the CSA on 4 February 2019. His term in office runs until January 2025. A graduate from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and an alumnus of the National School of Administration (ENA) (1982), Roch-Olivier Maistre worked as an Administrator for the City of Paris from 1982 to 1986. He then joined the staff of François Léotard, Minister of Culture and Communications, as an advisor (1986-1988). Between 1988 and 1991, Roch-Olivier Maistre worked as Deputy Director of Economic Affairs at the City of Paris Directorate of Finance and Economic Affairs and then as Chief of Staff to the General Secretary. Following that, he became Managing Director of the Comédie-Française (1993-1995) before being appointed to the position of General Secretary of Paris City Council (1995-2000). Between 2000 and 2005, he joined the office of the President of the Republic as Advisor for Education, Culture and Communications. In 2005 he moved to the Cour des comptes where he has occupied the following roles in succession: Master Auditor at the 4^th Chamber, Head of the Foreign Affairs Sector, First Assistant Public Prosecutor reporting to the General Prosecutor, Chamber President and General Rapporteur. Roch-Olivier Maistre has been awarded the titles of Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, Officer of the National Order of Merit and Commander of Arts and Letters.

Nouri Lajmi is the President of the High Independent Authority for Audio-visual Communication (HAICA) of Tunisia since 2013. He was the President of The Francophone Network of Media Regulators (REFRAM) from 2019 to 2022.  Doctor in information sciences, he taught journalism at the Press and Information Sciences Institute at Manouba University in Tunis before leaving for Canada. He lived in the province of Quebec for more than ten years, where he collaborated with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Center for Research in Public Law of the University of Montreal (CRDP) and with the Department of information and communication from Laval University in Quebec. He is the author of several scientific texts and studies on journalism, media regulation and journalistic ethics.

Researcher, consultant and university professor, born in Montevideo, Uruguay. Expert in free speech specializing in public policy and regulatory frameworks on media, telecommunications and Internet. Executive Director of OBSERVACOM (Latin American Observatory of Regulation, Media and Convergence). Former National Director of Telecommunications and Audiovisual Communication Services (DINATEL) and advisor to the Presidency of Uruguay on regulation and public policies of audiovisual media and telecommunications during the Presidency of José Mujica (2010-2014). He has researched, advised and / or made recommendations on public policy and regulatory frameworks for broadcasting and freedom of expression in several countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, at the invitation of governments, Congress and international agencies. He has produced reports and presentations on the right to free speech before bodies of the Inter American Human Rights System.

Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones is a Deputy Secretary General at the OECD. Her portfolio covers Environment, Development, Science and Innovation and Public Governance. An American national, she previously held several senior leadership roles in government. Prior to joining the OECD, she served as the Vice President, Research and Science, at the Pew Charitable Trusts. From 2009 -2014, she served as the US Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES). In 2014, she received the U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Award for Public Service. She also served in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where she was appointed Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs and served on the National Security Council. Dr. Jones obtained her Ph.D. from the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Barnard College, Columbia University.

Justice at the Brazilian Supreme Court. Professor of Constitutional Law at Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ). Master of Laws, Yale Law School (1989). Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School

Roberto Viola is Director General of DG CONNECT (Directorate General of Communication, Networks, Content and Technology) at the European Commission. He was the Deputy Director-General of DG CONNECT, European Commission from 2012 to 2015. Roberto Viola served as Chairman of the European Radio Spectrum Policy group (RSPG) from 2012 to 2013, as Deputy Chairman in 2011 and Chairman in 2010. He was member of the BEREC Board (Body of European Telecom Regulators), and Chairman of the European Regulatory Group (ERG). He held the position of Secretary General in charge of managing AGCOM, from 2005 to 2012. Prior to this, he served as Director of Regulation Department and Technical Director in AGCOM from 1999 to 2004. From 1985-1999 he served in various positions including as Head of Telecommunication and Broadcasting Satellite Services at the European Space Agency (ESA).

Miranda Sissons joined Meta in August 2019. She’s the inaugural Director of Human Rights Policy. Originally from Australia, Miranda is a long time human rights defender. She brings 20-plus years experience in human rights research and policy making. A former diplomat, Miranda has worked at Human Rights Watch, was Chief of Staff at the International Center for Transitional Justice, co-led Purpose, and consulted for the UN Human Rights Office. She has extensive on the ground experience with local and global organizations in Iraq, Timor Leste, Palestine, Egypt, and elsewhere. In addition to her field-based rights work, Miranda has taught human rights and transitional justice at NYU and the City University of New York. She has published widely on topics ranging from international criminal law and the law of armed conflict to transitional justice and sexual and reproductive rights. She has also led social impact startups and won multiple Cannes and Webby awards. Prior to joining Meta, Miranda spent eight years working to pursue social impact through tech. She studied at the University of Melbourne and at Yale University, where she was a Fulbright Scholar. She speaks Arabic, German and English.

Agustina Del Campo directs the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression CELE at Universidad de Palermo in Buenos Aires Argentina. Agustina teaches international human rights law, internet and human rights and platform regulation, self-regulation and co-regulation. She serves as vice chair of the Board of the Global Network Initiative (GNI).Agustina Del Campo directs the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression CELE at Universidad de Palermo in Buenos Aires Argentina. Agustina teaches international human rights law, internet and human rights and platform regulation, self-regulation and co-regulation. She serves as vice chair of the Board of the Global Network Initiative (GNI).

Since January 2016, Peggy Hicks has served as director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division of the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). She provides strategic direction to the UN Human Rights Office's work on a broad range of pressing human rights issues, including human rights in the digital age. From 2005 to 2015, she was global advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, where she was responsible for managing Human Rights Watch's advocacy team and providing direction to its advocacy worldwide. Ms. Hicks previously served as the director of the Office of Returns and Communities in the UN mission in Kosovo and as Deputy High Representative for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has also worked as the Director of Programs for the International Human Rights Law Group, and as clinical professor of human rights and refugee law at the University of Minnesota Law School. Ms. Hicks is a graduate of Columbia Law School and the University of Michigan. ​​

Isabelle is an award winning journalist with more than 20 years experience and has covered countless big business and political stories in Europe during that time. She moderated the first ever European Union Presidential Debate and anchored prime time evening news on Euronews for several years. She has also traveled the world interviewing heads of state and government, CEOs and celebrities generating more than 2 million views on YouTube. Isabelle moderates at high level events, from the first ever EU Presidential debate, to deep dives at the Davos World Economic Forum, business analysis at the Consumer Goods Forum, rights issues with the UN and the European Commission and drilling down into the digital health transformation at the influential HIMSS conference.  She has also chaired private meetings with European Heads of State and government - including with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Before heading to Euronews, Isabelle worked for CNN, APTN and Reuters.

A career diplomat, the President of the 41st General Conference, Ambassador Santiago Irazabal Mourão, has long experience in multilateralism, notably in the field of disarmament and sensitive technologies. Prior to his appointment as Permanent Delegate of Brazil to UNESCO in 2019, he was Deputy Secretary-General for International Cooperation, Trade Promotion and Cultural Affairs in Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was also posted to Embassies in the United States, Iran, Paraguay and the Mission to the United Nations in New York. Ambassador Mourão is graduated in Law from the Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay and holds a postgraduate degree from the Rio Branco Institute (advanced school of diplomacy), Brasilia, Brazil.