Secretary General

Santiago A. Canton – Secretary General

Santiago A. Canton is an Argentine jurist with an extensive career in working to advance human rights, the rule of law, and democracy. He was Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the IACHR, and Executive Director of the human rights program of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. He was also Chair of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and developed a close relationship with the regional human rights intergovernmental organizations. He served as Secretary of Human Rights for the Province of Buenos Aires (Argentina) andn 2005, Mr. Canton was awarded the Inter-American Press Association´s Chapultepec Grand Prize for his contributions to the promotion, development, strengthening, and defense of the principles of freedom of expression.

Santiago Canton has been Senior Fellow of the Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program at the Inter-American Dialogue and an international visiting scholar at American University, Washington College of Law. He holds a law degree from the University of Buenos Aires and a master’s degree in International Law from the Washington College of Law of American University.