Eileen Donahoe

Eileen Donahoe is currently the Director at the National Endowment for Democracy. Prior to that, they were the Director of Global Affairs for Human Rights Watch from February 2014 to July 2016. In this role, they represented the organization worldwide on human rights and foreign policy, with special emphasis on digital rights, cybersecurity and internet governance. Eileen engaged policy-makers in global capitals on human rights, digital policy, and global norms for cyberspace.

From March 2010 to October 2013, they served as the first US Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. During their tenure there, they built creative cross-regional coalitions in support of Council resolutions that addressed egregious international human rights and humanitarian law violations in Iran, Libya, Syria, Sri Lanka, North Korea. Eileen also helped spearhead successful initiatives to advance Internet freedom; freedom of peaceful assembly and association; freedom of religion & belief; LGBT rights; freedom of expression and the empowerment of women.

Eileen Donahoe graduated with their J.D. and M.A. from Stanford Law School in 1987. Eileen then obtained their Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University in 1991. In 1995, they completed their Bachelor of Arts (BA) with honors from Dartmouth College. Eileen then went on to get their Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from the Graduate Theological Union in 2001. Finally, in 1984 they obtained a Certificate in Mandarin and a Certificate in Chinese Law from Nankai University.