United Nations Association – UK (UNA-UK) staff, trustees, and members are delighted to welcome Dr Amna Nazir, Colombe Cahen-Salvador, Dr Christina Bache, Dali Lalit Ten Hove, Oluwatobi Aigbogun, Pam Shearing, and Dr Arash Nassouri as new trustees.
UNA-UK is pleased to announce the appointment of seven new trustees to its Board of Directors. UNA-UK will benefit from a fresh influx of experience, expertise, and leadership to ensure success against its mission-driven 2023-2025 strategic plan.
Marissa Conway, CEO of UNA-UK, said:
UNA-UK values an innovative, passionate, and diverse Board of Directors and our newest trustees bring a depth of knowledge and experience to the charity. I look forward to working closely alongside Oluwatobi, Dali, Colombe, Christina, Amna, Pam, and Arash. UNA-UK will benefit greatly from their experience across sectors and regions and within multilateral spaces to build a global community united in its pursuit of equality, sustainability, and peace.
Amna Nazir, PhD, Reader in International Human Rights Law and Associate Director of the Centre for Human Rights at Birmingham City University
Dr Amna Nazir is a Reader in International Human Rights Law and Associate Director of the Centre for Human Rights at Birmingham City University. She is an interdisciplinary academic with research expertise in international law and Islamic theology. She convenes courses on the UN at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level and supervises doctoral research in the area.
Dr Nazir’s research focuses on the effectiveness of the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism. She actively participates in the UPR through the submission of stakeholder reports to selected states’ review and engages in Pre-sessions to directly advocate to governments on their countries’ human rights landscape. Her work is regularly cited by the UN OHCHR and has won several awards.
Dr Nazir has undertaken extensive consulting and policy work with the UN, governments, civil society, and academic institutions. She has also been ranked in the top two candidates for appointment by the UN Human Rights Council for the role of Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.
Dr Amna Nazir said: “I am delighted to be joining UNA-UK, working towards a more effective UN and advocating for global cooperation. I look forward to working with the board of Trustees and our members to help build a global community in pursuit of equality, sustainability and peace.”
Colombe Cahen-Salvador, Co-founder of Atlas, the global grassroots movement working to unite the world for equity, freedom and well-being
Colombe Cahen-Salvador co-founded Atlas, a global grassroots movement working to unite the world for equity, freedom and well-being, with a membership of more than 22,000 people in over 134 countries.
Before global grassroots mobilising, she co-founded the first pan-European political party Volt Europa, which mobilised 60,000 young people across Europe and elected representatives at the 2019 European Elections and local elections on a vision of a more united and progressive European Union.
Colombe’s passion lies in mobilising people worldwide to solve existential issues together. Colombe Cahen-Salvador said: “I’m thrilled to be joining UNA-UK’s brilliant work. Supporting a team that seeks to both raise awareness about the incredible work of the UN, and at the same time improve its shortcomings and push for change is simply incredible! I can’t wait to collaborate and learn from them.”
Christina Bache, PhD, Associate Researcher at the Center for Migration, Diversity, and Justice, Brussels School of Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Christina’s professional interests are focused on responsible business practices, livelihood security and financial inclusion of vulnerable groups, forced migration, and the meaningful participation of women in fragile and conflict-affected environments. She is an Associate Researcher at the Center for Migration, Diversity, and Justice, Brussels School of Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Previously, she was a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, IDEAS, and a Visiting Fellow at the Wilfred Martens Centre for European Studies.
Her academic contributions include teaching courses on the UN and Global Governance, Crisis Management, Peace and Conflict Management, International Organizations, and Research Methods, advising students on the writing of their dissertations, and conducting and presenting her research at conferences and in academic journals. Moreover, she has conducted peace and conflict assessments and strategic evaluations in the fields of humanitarian assistance and development coordination for the International Labour Organisation, International Organization for Migration, European Parliament, German development agency (GIZ), SPARK, and Verite.
Christina has held pro bono roles, including Chair of the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education, Working Group on Business for Peace, Co-Chair of the International Crisis Group's Ambassador Council, Co-Founder of the Women in Foreign Policy Turkey Chapter, and Administrator of the Syria Support Network. She is a member of the Academic Friends of the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office, Hollings Center dialogue groups on Profits to Peace, Iraq's Foreign Policy and Economic Challenges, and US-Egypt Relations; Middle East Research Network on Internal Displacement; Migration, Business and Society; and Research Centre for Gender, Diversity, and Intersectionality, Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Dr Christina Bache said: “I am honoured and excited to be selected as a new Trustee for UNA-UK because of the organisation's unique history of holding the United Nations to a higher standard; one where structural barriers to inequality and injustice are truly revealed and addressed."
Dali Lalit Ten Hove, Protection of Civilians Officer at the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Dali ten Hove serves in the United Nations Secretariat, currently within the peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as a protection of civilians officer and special assistant. He was previously the researcher on the memoir of former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, “Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World,” and was a member of the UN's 75th anniversary team. He has also done consulting work for the World Federation of United Nations Associations.
From 2015 to 2017, Dali was president of UNA-UK's youth council and served as an ex officio member of the board of trustees. He was concurrently secretary-general of the London International Model United Nations. Dali has degrees in international relations and political economy from the University of Oxford and King's College London.
Dali Lalit Ten Hove said: “UNA-UK makes a real difference in helping to build institutions that the world needs to realise the shared aspirations of all humankind. I’m delighted to be a part of so storied an organisation and so stellar a team.”
Oluwatobi Aigbogun, Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager at World Vision and the Founder of SocialGood UK
Oluwatobi is the Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager at World Vision and the Founder of SocialGood UK, a United Nations Foundation-backed community using new media and technology to address and achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by working with the government, football clubs and boroughs on programmes and policies. He is a Non-Executive Director at Healthwatch Greenwich, an independent champion for people who use health and social care services in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London, and a global shaper of the World Economic Forum.
He recently launched the Sustainability and Climate Podcast, where he dives into the pressing environmental issues of our time and explores the latest news on sustainability, climate change, and environmental conservation. In 2023 Oluwatobi was named one of the most influential people of African descent for his commitment in activism and humanitarian work.
Oluwatobi Aigbogun said: “I’m excited to be part of the board and can’t wait to work with the chief executive and the rest of the team in achieving its goals. It’s going to be an exciting time.”
Pam Shearing, PhD, Company Director and Managing Partner of a boutique law firm specialising in investigations, corporate governance, and compliance
As a practising lawyer with over 16 years of experience, Pam has led teams of lawyers advising multinational companies, SMEs, governments, and individuals across multiple sectors and jurisdictions. Throughout her legal career she has also been involved in a significant number of pro-bono legal projects for not-for-profit organisations and charities, helping these organisations prepare submissions to regional and international bodies on matters concerning the promotion of human rights and breaches of international law.
Alongside her legal and management career, Pam has also been involved in academic study and teaching in the field of international relations. She completed her PhD at King’s College London, exploring the contribution of the UN Security Council in the political and legal development of international normative principles and had a particular interest in public international law, international justice, humanitarian intervention, and the work of the UN. Since 2018 she has been a Visiting University Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy at King’s College London, teaching undergraduate students about the role of the UN and its position in international affairs.
Dr Pam Shearing said: “I am honoured to be appointed to this role and to be able to volunteer my time to support UNA-UK in continuing the great work that the organisation does in raising knowledge and understanding of the UN and the role that the UK can have within the international organisation.”
Dr Arash Nassouri, elected by the UNA-UK community as Conference Committee Chair, will be responsible for coordinating and leading the UNA-UK Conference.
Dr Arash Nassouri said: "Joining UNA-UK represents a profound alignment with my professional aspirations and personal values in the realm of international cooperation. I am deeply committed to contributing to our collective efforts to promote peace, human rights, and sustainable development, and I consider this appointment a significant milestone in that journey."
To learn more about the board click here.
