Salima Namusobya, the Senior Regional Director for Africa at the Centre for Reproductive Rights, and Ignacio Saiz, an international advocate for economic and social rights, have joined the executive board of the Right to Education Initiative (RTE).
Namusobya and Saiz bring world-leading legal and policy expertise on the right to education, in addition to decades of experience in the wider context of economic, social and cultural rights. Their addition to our existing eight-strong Executive Board marks a new chapter in our development, as we embark on the implementation of our new 2023-2026 strategy.
Delphine Dorsi, RTE’s Executive Director, says: ‘We are honoured to welcome Salima and Ignacio to our Board. As this period of global flux and transformation deepens, renewed efforts to protect and defend the right to education are increasingly important. The world-leading expertise, knowledge of the contexts of the Americas and Africa, and experience in driving forward the realisation of rights that Salima and Ignacio bring will help the Right to Education Initiative catalyse long term change to the enjoyment of the right to education.'
‘Crucially, as our role advocating for, building capacity, and operating as a specialist technical partner on the right to education advances, their inclusion into our board of dedicated global experts will enable us to amplify our impact and hold an even greater role in its realisation worldwide.’
Salima Namusobya is Senior Regional Director for Africa at the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), an expert member of the Working Group on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), and Vera Chirwa Laureate for Human Rights Advocacy in Africa. Prior to joining CRR, she was the former founding Executive Director of the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER).
Salima Namusobya says: ‘RTE is an important organisation in promoting the right to education globally from a human rights perspective, and I feel privileged to serve on its Board together with distinguished experts in the field.’
Ignacio Saiz is a senior advisor and consultant to leading international human rights organisations, including the UN’s human rights agency (OHCHR) and Amnesty International, and to various philanthropic foundations supporting the social justice field. The former Executive Director of the Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR), he has also served as Director of Policy and Deputy Director for the Americas at Amnesty International.
Ignacio Saiz says: ‘Education is a cornerstone right and RTE is an anchor organisation working to realise it. It’s a pleasure to join the Board as RTE embarks on a powerful new strategy at a pivotal time.’
Find out more about our existing Executive Board members here.