Sima Samar

Sima Samar is a renowned advocate of human and women’s rights. She was appointed as the inaugural chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission in June 2002. Previously, she served as Minister of Women’s Affairs in post-Taliban Afghanistan. She also served as UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Sudan and is currently serving as Chair of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions. Samar’s contributions to human rights, democracy and transitional justice have been widely recognized and she is the recipient of several prestigious awards. Samar was recently appointed as member of the United Nation Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation.