Dr. Pedro Nikken was elected to the Commission in August 1996. He is a member of the Andean Commission of Jurists.

Currently, Dr. Nikken is a Professor of Civil and International Law at the Law School of the Universidad Central de Venezuela and a Partner in a law firm in Caracas. He is President of the Steering Committee of the "Programa Venezolano Edzucacion Accion en Derechos Humanos" (PROVEA), an NGO which is active in promoting existing initiatives and developing programmes on Human Rights protection, education and diffusion.

Dr. Pedro Nikken is a former Judge and President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Dr. Nikken was a Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Burundi for the establishment of a Truth Commission or an International Judicial Commission of Enquiry in 1995. He was also Legal Adviser to the UN Secretary-General assisting El Salvador's peace process from 1990 to 1992 and subsequently served as UN Independent Expert on El Salvador from 1992 to 1995.

Between 1979 and 1984 he acted as an Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela.

Dr. Nikken is the author of numerous books and articles and a member and former President of the Board of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, as well as a member of the Group of International Advisers to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Dr. Nikken obtained his PhD in law from the University of Caracas.