Michel Forst

Michel Forst is the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, a title he has held since his appointment in June 2014.

Having held a number of distinguished positions within the field, Mr Forst has a wealth of experience on the issues facing defenders today. His wide-ranging career includes directorships of Amnesty International France, La Ligue contre le cancer and La Cimade, as well as leadership roles within UNESCO and the French National Consultative Commission on Human Rights. He was also one of the founding members of Front Line Defenders, an NGO concerned with the security of defenders around the world.

Prior to his appointment as Special Rapporteur, Mr Forst worked as the UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights defenders in Haiti and chaired the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.

Michel Forst’s full OHCHR page can be found here.