Ms. Mary Lawlor (Ireland)
2020 – 2026
Ms. Mary Lawlor was Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders from May 2020 until April 2026. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Social Innovation at Trinity College Business School. With decades of experience supporting activists at risk, she founded Front Line Defenders. Throughout her career, she has been a leading voice in promoting the safety, recognition, and legitimacy of those who peacefully work to defend human rights.
Mr. Michel Forst (France)
2014 – 2020
Mr. Michel Forst (France) was Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders from June 2014 until April 2020. From 2008 to 2013, Mr. Forst was the UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti, and between 2012 and 2013 he was the Chair of the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
Mrs. Margaret Sekaggya (Uganda)
2008 – 2014
Mrs. Margaret Sekaggya (Uganda) was the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders from 2008 to 2014. Before her appointment as Special Rapporteur, Ms. Sekaggya was the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission and a High Court Judge in the country.
Ms. Hina Jilani (Pakistan)
2000 – 2008
Ms. Hina Jilani (Pakistan) was Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders from 2000 – 2008. In 1980, she and her sister founded Pakistan’s first women-only legal practise. She became an Advocate of the Supreme Court shortly after her tenure as Special Rapporteur came to an end.