We are delighted to announce that HURIDOCS has welcomed six outstanding individuals as new members to our Board: Bert Verstappen, Laura Carter, Noah Ponton, Sophia Devlin, Stanley Ibe and Vukasin Petrovic.
“Sustaining our mission in today’s complex global landscape requires broad collaboration and fresh thinking. We are honoured to welcome these six exceptional new colleagues to our Board. As we embark on our next strategic chapter, their unique insights and connections will sharpen our vision and fortify our commitment to supporting human rights defenders around the world.”
— Grace Kwak Danciu, Chair of the HURIDOCS Board
Meet our new Board members
Bert Verstappen
Bert Verstappen worked with HURIDOCS from 1987 until his retirement in 2020, coordinating Task Forces and co-authoring key publications such as the Events Standard Formats and Microthesauri. He delivered workshops and presentations on human rights information management in about 60 countries, gaining valuable insight into the strengths and weaknesses of diverse organisations. Originally from the Netherlands, Bert has lived in Geneva since 1993 and after retiring, remains actively involved in international NGOs. Bert’s return to HURIDOCS, now in his capacity as a Board member, reinforces the strength of our legacy and ensures that we stay connected to our documentalist roots as we advance into the future.
“As a former staff member for 30+ years, I still feel strongly connected to HURIDOCS. I hope to make myself useful by providing advice and support to its various activities related to human rights information management.”
— Bert Verstappen
Laura Carter
Laura Carter is a feminist human rights researcher focused on the impact of technology on equality and non-discrimination, with expertise in open and participatory research. She is a Programme Manager at Open Life Science, an Associate Fellow at the Ada Lovelace Institute, a Research Fellow with Women in AI Ethics+, and has held roles at Amnesty International and UC Berkeley. Originally from the UK, she holds a PhD in Human Rights & Research Methods (Essex), an MA in Gender Studies (SOAS), and a BA in Mathematics (Cambridge), and now lives in Seattle, USA on the unceded ancestral lands of the Duwamish people, past and present.
“As a human rights professional, I have seen first-hand the importance of accurate information in the field: it evidences human rights violations and helps build a case to support positive change. In an increasingly complex information landscape, I’m excited to support HURIDOCS as a Board member, to help the organisation continue to enable human rights defenders to collect and analyse this information and use the data they collect to advocate for a better world.”
— Laura Carter
Noah Ponton
Noah Ponton is a Senior Manager at Humanity United, where he leads strategic partnerships and manages programmes and grantmaking for the Forced Labor and Human Trafficking portfolio. He collaborates with civil society partners across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to promote worker power, migration, and corporate accountability, while also serving as a Non-Resident Fellow at Cornell’s Center on Global Democracy and an Advisory Board member of Human Rights First. Noah holds a Master’s degree in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“I am honoured to support HURIDOCS because it does the quiet, foundational work the whole human rights movement relies on, which is preserving and safeguarding evidence so that justice and accountability are actually possible.”
— Noah Ponton
Sophia Devlin
Sophia Devlin is the Chief Executive Officer and co‑founder of TechEthics and a PhD researcher at Ulster University, focusing on AI for detecting cardiac abnormalities and associated comorbidities. Sophia is also the former Head of Technology and Innovation at the peacebuilding and reconciliation NGO, Co-operation Ireland and a contributor to the Munich Framework for the UN Convention on AI, Data, and Human Rights. With expertise in computer science, democratic resilience, and post‑conflict reconciliation, she has advised international peace negotiations, designed deliberative democratic processes, and consulted on conflict resolution and ethical AI. She joined the HURIDOCS Board in 2026.
“I believe that HURIDOCS’ commitment to the advancement of human rights documentation through technology, particularly in the era of AI and complex data, is crucial to ensure human dignity, the protection of the vulnerable, and increased accountability. HURIDOCS’ work at the intersection of documentation, open-source technology, and human rights resonates profoundly with my commitment to using technology for justice, social good, International Humanitarian Law, and human rights. As a Board member, I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to this organisation’s vital mission.”
— Sophia Devlin
Stanley Ibe
Stanley Ibe is a lawyer, human rights advocate, and strategic leader with extensive experience advancing access to justice, legal education, and rule-of-law reforms across Africa. He is Senior Partner at Goodshare & Maxwells and previously managed criminal justice reform programmes and regional litigation at the Open Society Justice Initiative. He holds an MSc in International Human Rights Law from Oxford, an MBA from Essex, and an LLM from Maastricht. Stanley also serves as Co-Editor of the African Human Rights Law Journal and sits on the inaugural Board of the African Network of Clinical Legal Education.
I chose to support HURIDOCS as a Board member because its important work connecting human rights organisations with the information and evidence they need aligns with my lifelong commitment to promoting rights and justice.
— Stanley Ibe
Vukasin Petrovic
Vukasin Petrovic has worked in human rights for over 25 years, holding senior positions at Freedom House, FHI 360, and DT Institute. Beginning as a student activist in Serbia in the late 1990s, Vukasin has engaged across democracy, human rights, technology, and media, from documenting abuses and supporting activists to managing a global consortium in over 30 countries. He has pioneered innovations such as using online evidence to document abuses, framing disinformation as a human rights violation, and examining how social norms shape attitudes toward rights. Beyond human rights, he advises international organisations, donors, media, and civil society through his practice, Future Perfect, and holds an MA with Distinction in Communications Policy from City, University of London.
“Having had the privilege of collaborating with HURIDOCS, I know firsthand how essential its work is to the human rights community. I am joining the Board now at a pivotal moment: the rapid emergence of AI. While human rights organisations must leverage AI to remain effective, there is a real danger of them relying on tools designed by people who have never actually documented a human rights violation. I joined the HURIDOCS Board to help build the alternative.”
— Vukasin Petrovic
HURIDOCS’ Board provides strategic guidance and governance oversight to keep the organisation aligned with its values and vision. It also supports sustainability through fundraising, acting as ambassadors across global networks, and shaping HURIDOCS’ future by engaging in key decisions, particularly around responsible uses of technology such as AI in human rights work.
Joining the HURIDOCS Board is a voluntary commitment that demands dedication. We are deeply grateful to Bert, Laura, Noah, Sophia, Stanley, and Vukasin for embracing this responsibility. Our new members bring extensive expertise in NGO governance, resource mobilisation, human rights, law, academia, and technology that will enrich HURIDOCS’ collaboration with a diverse global network of practitioners, technologists, and advocates.
“I am incredibly excited to welcome such an impressive and diverse cohort of new Board members to HURIDOCS. As we, alongside the wider civil society community, navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world, their experience, insight and perspectives will be invaluable. Having them join our already strong Board gives me tremendous confidence in HURIDOCS’ future, and I look forward to working together as we usher the organisation into its next chapter.”
— Danna Ingleton, Executive Director, HURIDOCS
These six changemakers are joining a remarkable panel of current Board members who are already strengthening and advancing the work of HURIDOCS and its partners:
- Grace Kwak Danciu, Social Innovator and Chair of the HURIDOCS Board
- Arian Waldvogel, Executive Director, Pro Victimis Foundation
- Jose Grau, Equity Research Analyst, Capital Group
- Louis Bickford, Founder and CEO of Memria and MindStory
- Nighat Dad, Executive Director, Digital Rights Foundation
Georgios Damtsas serves as an Advisor to the HURIDOCS Board with Edward Abbott-Halpin and Hannah Forster as Ambassadors.
Together, their leadership will help advance independent infrastructure for civil society to document human rights, strengthen advocacy, and promote accountability worldwide.