Institute for International Law and Human Rights
WASHINGTON, DC • BRUSSELS • BAGHDAD
Who We Are
The Team
Charles Brown
President and CEO
Charles Brown Biography
Charles J. Brown is Managing Partner at Strategy for Humanity, a women-, minority-, persons with disabilities–, and LGBTQ-owned consulting firm that works with mission-driven organizations and those who fund them to identify what they do best and help them do it better. Since 2015, he has worked with dozens of organizations and foundations to develop effective strategies, conduct program and organizational evaluations, provide executive coaching, conduct advocacy, and develop new programs. During the Obama Administration, Brown served in the Department of Defense, first as Principal Deputy in the Office of Rule of Law and International Humanitarian Policy and then as Senior Advisor for Atrocity Prevention and Response, where he served as the DoD’s representative to the Atrocities Prevention Board. In 2016, Brown served as Chair of the Experts Committee on Preventing Mass Violence. In 2015, he was the Leonard and Sophie Davis Genocide Prevention Fellow at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He has held senior positions with Amnesty International USA, Freedom House, and the Institute for International Law and Human Rights, among other NGOs. During the Clinton Administration, Brown was Chief of Staff in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the U.S. Department of State and a member of the U.S. delegation to the Rome Conference on the Establishment of the International Criminal Court. He is author of A Necessary Good: U.S. Leadership on Preventing Mass Atrocities; The Obama Administration and the Struggle to Prevent Atrocities in the Central African Republic; and Human Protection: Strategic Opportunities in a Challenging Political Environment, among other publications.
Robin Gary
Executive Director
Robin Gary Biography
With more than 15 years of experience in constitution-making, peace processes, rule of law, democracy, governance, law and development, Robin Gary provides clients with strong leadership and creative solutions based on comparative practice and solid recommendations on implementation for resolving complex constitutional, rule of law, and process issues. Ms. Gary is a natural born leader with proven success as a strong project leader, people manager, coalition builder, and solution provider who pays attention to detail and is action oriented.
She has worked for several international organizations in different complex, post-conflict settings throughout Africa, the Middle East, and South America, including the UN Development Programme, IILHR, and the Public International Law & Policy Group. Ms. Gary has also served as Litigation Staff Attorney at the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, and Garrison LLP; as Pro Bono Immigration Legal Advisor to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; and as an officer on Pew Charitable Trusts’ International Oceans & Protecting Ocean Life on the High Seas Campaign. She is a graduate of American University’s Washington College of Law and holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs from American University’s School for International Service as well as a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of Vermont. Additionally, she is versed in the practice of Shamanic energy healing. Ms. Gary is a native Washingtonian and a licensed member of the District of Columbia Bar. In her free time, Ms. Gary enjoys traveling and furthering her skills in sailing and yoga.
Nicola Giovannini
Brussels Director
Nicola Giovannini Biography
IILHR Brussels Director Nicola Giovannini also serves as President of Droit au Droit (Right to Law), an international non-governmental organization committed to the promotion of human rights and rule of law in judicial and penal procedures, and as European Public Affairs & Media Coordinator for No Peace Without Justice. From 1999 to 2004, Giovannini served as Senior Political Advisor to the Lista Bonino, a European Parliament bloc. From 1993 to 1999, he served as Advocacy Advisor to several international NGOs committed to the promotion of human rights and international justice. He is the author as well as translator of numerous books and articles on political and legal theory, as well as co-editor of The Use of Solitary Confinement in European Prisons (Editions Bruylant, 2004).
Najim Al-Khaphaji
Senior Advisor
Najim Al-Khaphaji Biography
Najim Al-Khaphaji has served with IILHR since 2008, starting as Legal Coordinator. Currently Senior Advisor, Al-Khapaji has been instrumental in facilitating interaction between the Iraqi Council of Representatives, the judiciary, civil society, and IILHR. In addition to his day-to-day leadership, he has organized several conferences and events for members of parliament in Erbil and Kurdistan, and he has taken the lead in convening judges, media representatives, members of parliament, and academics to better inform the legislative drafting process on specific topics.
Prior to joining IILHR, Al-Khaphaji worked with the Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG) where he served as liaison between PILPG and the Constitutional Review and Legal Committees of the Iraqi Parliament. Al-Khaphaji also worked as a manager with the Iraqi Institute of Peace, where he was active in encouraging participation in the election process and in dialogues leading to the drafting of the Iraqi Constitution.
Al-Khaphaji brings to IILHR a wealth of experience working with the Iraqi Parliament and civil society on the rule of law. He holds a degree in Computer Data Processing and is a member of the Iraqi Translators Association.
Vlora Maxhuni
Legal Advisor
Vlora Maxhuni Biography
Vlora Maxhuni, international legal advisor, has extensive experience in the rule of law, environmental law and sustainable development, international law, and dispute resolution. As part of IILHR, Maxhuni is currently focused on environmental governance legislation and sustainable policies to address climate change in Iraq.
Previously, as a Rule of Law and Good Governance Advisor with GIZ, she contributed to advancing investment protection frameworks in Western Balkan countries. Her work focused on improving and modernizing investment treaties and laws in light of the recent trends in international investment law and EU law, especially in the renewable energy sector.
Maxhuni also held senior legal roles within Kosovo’s government, including at the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Justice. Among other responsibilities, she ensured that the proposed environmental legislation complied with EU law. She also played a key role in justice system reforms, contributing to initiatives such as the vetting of judges and prosecutors, the confiscation of unjustified assets, and the implementation of the rule of law strategy.
Maxhuni holds an LL.M. in International Trade and Investment Law from Maastricht University and an LL.B. from the University of Prishtina. She has also passed the Kosovo Bar Exam.
Reman Mohammed Khuder
Legal Advisor
Reman Mohammed Khuder Biography
Reman Mohammed Khuder is an accomplished legal advisor with over 11 years of experience in humanitarian law, human rights, and legal protection in conflict and post-conflict settings, Reman plays a pivotal role in advancing legislative reforms and justice sector improvements, focusing on the intersection of human rights and sustainable development. His work aims to address pressing issues in Iraq, including housing, land, and property rights, environmental governance, and climate change adaptation.
Throughout their career, Reman has demonstrated a strong commitment to empowering vulnerable populations. In their role as ICLA Program Manager at the Norwegian Refugee Council, they led complex legal projects aimed at assisting internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees. From securing civil documentation to resolving housing disputes, Reman ensured these interventions upheld the highest technical standards. Their efforts not only improved access to justice for those in need but also secured critical funding from esteemed donors, reflecting trust in their expertise and leadership.
Reman’s contributions extend beyond the legal field. At INTERSOS and Dorcas Aid International, they spearheaded protection initiatives addressing gender-based violence, human trafficking, and child protection in some of the most challenging environments. They worked closely with legal teams, community leaders, and government officials, building capacity and fostering collaboration to create sustainable solutions. Whether through delivering training sessions on housing and land rights or advocating for the rights of survivors of violence, Reman’s work has consistently focused on driving meaningful change.
Advocacy and policy reform are also central to Reman’s approach. They have represented organizations in high-level discussions with government bodies, donors, and humanitarian stakeholders, advocating for justice sector reforms and the inclusion of human rights principles in public policy. With a focus on environmental governance, they have contributed to drafting legal frameworks aimed at promoting sustainable practices to mitigate the impact of climate change in Iraq.
A graduate of the University of Mosul with a B.A. in Law, Reman is fluent in Arabic, English, and Kurdish. Their professional development reflects a commitment to excellence, with certifications in project management, humanitarian negotiations, and gender justice.
Madeleine Chartrand
Program Manager
Madeleine Chartrand Biography
Madeleine Chartrand joined IILHR in 2023 as Program Manager. Previously, she worked and published in academia. She has extensive experience with the qualitative and quantitative analysis of legal documents. Her areas of research focus include gender and labor law. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Manitoba and holds a Master’s and PhD from York University, winning several prestigious federal and institutional grants to fund her graduate studies there.
Jabran Mansoor
Legal Translator
Jabran Mansoor Biography
Jabran Mansoor joined IILHR in 2008 as Legal Translator. Since then, he has translated official letters and documents, draft legislation, laws currently in force, and reports and legal handbooks. He translated a series of reports released during Iraq’s Daesh War, including Crossroads: The Future of Iraq’s Minorities After ISIS; No Way Home: Iraq’s Minorities on the Verge of Disappearance; and Between the Millstones: The State of Iraq’s Minorities Since the Fall of Mosul. He has also translated legal handbooks and references such as Iraq’s Minorities and Other Vulnerable Groups: Legal Framework, Documentation and Human Rights; Iraq’s High Commission for Human Rights: Bylaws, Regulations and Legal Framework; Minorities and the Law in Iraq; and Women and the Law in Iraq.
Before joining IILHR, Mansoor worked as a translator and interpreter with a number of Iraqi NGOs and international organizations, including International Foundation for Electoral System, International Institute for the Rule of Law, the Civil Constitutional Forum, the American Bar Association, and the Public International Law and Policy Group.
William Spencer
Founder and Chair Emeritus
In Memoriam
William Spencer Biography
William “Spence” Spencer was the Executive Director of IILHR. Spencer has more than 25 years of professional experience in diplomacy, human rights, democracy and governance, international law, and crisis management and response, both as a career diplomat and as an advocate in the field. He is intimately familiar with post-conflict rebuilding and peace and constitutional negotiations in the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
In 1996 Spencer helped to configure Bosnia’s first post-war elections and oversaw implementation of human rights components of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a career foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department, Spencer served as Senior Duty Officer in the White House Situation Room, supported Transatlantic institutions such as NATO and the OSCE, and coordinated policy and resource support for human rights in the former Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal. He served as a delegate to the Rome Conference to establish an International Criminal Court in 1998.
In Iraq, he has advised the government of Iraq on diverse constitutional and legislative issues since 2005. He currently oversees a legal team that provides advice to both the Iraqi Federal and Kurdistan Regional parliaments, and he works on accountability and justice issues with Iraq’s judiciary.
WASHINGTON, DC
2201 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20007
Tel. +1 202-800-9141
BRUSSELS
Avenue Louise 489
1050 Ixelles
Brussels, Belgium
Tel. +32 2 781 08 23
BAGHDAD
International Zone
Baghdad, Iraq
Tel. +964 790 128 7010
© 2023 INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW & HUMAN RIGHTS
