Fellows

Visiting Fellow

Federico Borello is an executive with expertise in transitional justice, protection of civilians, human rights, and conflict resolution. He served as the Executive Director at the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) from 2014 to 2023 and previously held the position of Director of Investments at Humanity United. Federico has also worked with international organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ). He coordinated the Transitional Justice Unit at MONUC, the UN mission in Congo, and played various roles within the UN, including leading investigations and issuing reports. Federico holds a law degree from the University of Milan and a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University in New York. He is fluent in Italian, English, French, and Spanish.

Visiting Fellow

Daniela Baro is an Argentinian lawyer focused on Children's Rights in various capacities. She served as a child rights specialist with the International Commission of Inquiry on Gaza (2014), the Fact-Finding Mission on Libya, and the International Independent Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. Additionally, Daniela worked as a child protection specialist on sexual exploitation and abuse with UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa from 2016 to 2021. She also collaborated with Save the Children UK in Sudan and Kosovo, where she served as a human rights advisor at Headquarters. In Peacekeeping Operations, Daniela held roles such as Child Protection Advisor in the Democratic Republic of Congo, coordinator of the human rights monitoring team in Timor Leste, and coordinator of Transitional Justice and Administration of Justice in Darfur, Sudan. Furthermore, she contributed to child participation projects in city slums of Buenos Aires city while working with the Argentinian Government Aires. Daniela holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex (2000).

Visiting Fellow

Iain Byrne is an international human rights lawyer with nearly 30 years’ experience specialising in economic and social rights. Since 2000 he has been a Fellow of the Human Rights Centre at Essex from where he graduated with MA (distinction) in 1994 after obtaining a LLB (2:1 Hons) degree from the University of Manchester. He has a diploma (distinction) from the Human Rights Institute, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland in advanced human rights law. Since 2011 he has worked at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International as a Law and Policy Advisor and Researcher in the Economic and Social Justice team conducting as well as advising on and supporting ESCR research across the organisation. He has also managed a number of Amnesty teams as a Deputy Programme Director in the Global Issues Programme producing a range of major research outputs including for global campaigns. He has been involved in litigation in both domestic fora and before international and regional human rights bodies and courts including five collective complaints under the European Social Charter. Prior to Amnesty he was a Senior Lawyer and Legal Practice Director (ag.) with INTERIGHTS. He has taught and lectured at many universities across the world, is widely published and conducted training courses for amongst others the United Nations, European Union, the OSCE, Council of Europe and the British Council.

Visiting Fellow

Dr Haim Abraham is a Lecturer in Laws. Dr Abraham holds a Doctor of Juridical Science degree from the University of Toronto, a Master of Law degree from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Law degree combined with the Interdisciplinary Honours Program in the Humanities from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he was on the editorial board of the Israel Law Review. Dr Abraham was Co-Chair of the Institute for Law, Politics and Philosophy in 2023-23. Prior to joining UCL Faculty of Laws in 2021, Dr. Abraham was a Lecturer in Law at the University of Essex School of Law, and before his return to academia, Dr Abraham served as a Law Clerk at the Israel State Attorney Office, Civil Department. In addition to his academic work, Dr Abraham consulted various Ministries and Non-Governmental Organizations in the areas of tort law, surrogacy, and parental status, such as the Ministry of Health of Israel and Israel's LGBT Task Force.

Visiting Fellow

Rebecca Schleifer, JD/MPH, is a globally respected advocate, researcher and scholar working in the field of health and human rights. Over the last ten years, her work at Human Rights Watch helped define the contours of this emerging field, particularly with regard to establishing core research methods, identifying and helping to set the scope of applicable standards, and opening up new sites for action and policy change in national and international settings.

Dr Claire Simmons is a Fellow of the Human Rights Centre and Essex Armed Conflict and Crisis Hub. She is also Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Affairs, Faculty for the Study of Leadership, Security and Warfare at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Claire completed her PhD at the University of Essex Law School in 2021, on the independence and impartiality of military investigations into violations of international humanitarian law. She was previously a researcher in the Essex Armed Conflict and Crisis Hub, working on various projects related to international humanitarian law and human rights. She is one of the authors of the "Guidelines on Investigating Violations of International Humanitarian Law: Law, Policy, and Good Practice" published by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Claire has experience working on international humanitarian law and human rights in academic institutions and non-profit organisations in Thailand, France and the UK.

Honorary Fellow

Alberto Vásquez Encalada is a Peruvian lawyer and disability rights advocate. He holds an LLM in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Having worked as a research coordinator for the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities and with various UN entities, he is a senior advisor at the Center for Inclusive Policy (CIP) and the President of Sociedad y Discapacidad – SODIS. In Peru, he has been actively involved in drafting, advocating, and monitoring laws and policies relating to persons with disabilities. He also serves as a board member of the Disability Rights Fund, the Bank Information Center, and the Latin American Network of Psychosocial Diversity.