Who we are

We are a group of driven experts with a track record of supporting child-friendly governance and child participation with a range of partners.

Board of Directors

Kasper Ottosson Kanstrup, Board Chair

Executive Director and Impact Consultant

  • Kasper Ottosson Kanstrup is Executive Director and Impact Consultant at UNLEASH GLOBAL, with a commitment to creating a better future with and for the next generation. He brings 15 years of leaderships experience in leading child-focused, international NGOs and philanthropies, including at the LEGO Foundation and SOS Children’s Villages, where he oversaw the development and implementation of programs, partnerships, and fundraising. He is passionate about child rights and committed to building strong partnerships to give children a voice in decision-making impacting their lives.

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Bruce Adamson, Board Vice-Chair

Professor in Practice, Children’s Rights and Human Rights, University of Glasgow

  • Bruce Adamson is a human rights lawyer and since 2017 has been Children and Young People’s Commissioner of Scotland. Working directly with children he has secured legislative change in relation to the age of criminal responsibility, the physical punishment of children, and the incorporation of the UNCRC into Scots law. He has championed the role of child human rights defenders and worked extensively on children’s participation in UN mechanisms. Mr Adamson has worked as a human rights expert in over 20 countries for the United Nations, Council of Europe, European Union, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and NGOs. He was a Member of the Children’s Panel for 13 years, and has been the United Nations Representative for the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, Chair of the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children, and Chair of the Scottish Child Law Centre.

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Cyril Haddad, Treasurer

Deputy Head of Compliance Onboarding

  • Cyril Haddad is the Deputy Head of Compliance Onboarding at a Swiss multinational private bank and financial services company. Trained as a lawyer (international, European and compliance law), Mr Haddad has more than 15 years of experience in compliance and risk management with several large banks. Mr Haddad has a strong commitment to children’s rights and development. Alongside his role as Treasurer at the Child Friendly Governance Project, he is a Board Member of Swiss4Ukraine, an association supporting Ukrainian refugees arriving in Switzerland.

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Rafsi Albar, Board Member
Managing Director, Youth Catalyst Foundation

  • Rafsi Albar is the Managing Director of Youth Catalyst Foundation, one of Indonesia’s preeminent not-for-profit organizations in the field of student development that has impacted hundreds of thousands across the country for nearly a decade through its three core programs: StudentsCatalyst, Internnet, and FlashCampus.

    With an academic background in law and human rights, Rafsi’s professional life has been spent mostly in the public sector. As an undergraduate student, he was appointed to lead a team in redesigning one of the flagship programs of the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. He then proceeded to work at an advisory firm to help realize the country’s governmental transformation ambitions.

    Rafsi is currently based in Geneva to pursue his master’s degree while also helping out at the International Law Commission of the United Nations and co-leading the Indonesian Institute for Education Reform from afar.

Gerison Lansdown, Board Member

International Child Rights Expert

  • Gerison Lansdown is an internationally recognised child rights specialist and advocate, who has published and lectured widely on children’s rights. She has supported the Committee on the Rights of the Child with developing several General Comments to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and was involved in the drafting of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She has supported UN agencies, international NGOs, governments, and regional institutions in developing their child rights frameworks and strategies. Ms Lansdown founded the Children’s Rights Alliance for England and functioned as its director from 1992 to 2000. She is an adjunct professor at Carleton University Canada and University College Cork, has an Honorary Doctorate from the Open University, Carleton University and the University of East London, and an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Central Lancashire. She is on the editorial advisory board of the Canadian Journal of Children’s Rights.

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Sonia Livingstone, OBE, Board Member

Professor of Social Psychology, London School of Economics

  • Sonia Livingstone, OBE, is Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Much of Sonia’s research is concerned with children’s rights in the digital age. She currently directs the Digital Futures Commission (with the 5Rights Foundation) and the Global Kids Online project (with UNICEF). She founded the European Commission -funded EU Kids Online research network and is a #SaferInternet4EU Ambassador for the European Commission. Professor Livingstone has advised numerous governments and international organisations on children’s rights in the digital environment. Her publications include more than 20 books on the topic of child rights online, and the General Comment no. 25 on children’s rights in the digital environment.

    LinkedIn

Charlotte Bolland, Board Member
Co-founder, Solutions Research

  • Charlotte co-founded Solutions Research in 2001 (www.solutions-research.co.uk), a research consultancy which gives strategy and branding advice to both government departments and commercial companies.  Charlotte was Vice President of the board of the Child Center of New York for 7 years and was involved with Pilotlight, a mentoring charity in the UK, for 4 years.  Charlotte was also on the partnerships board at The Roundhouse, a UK charity which provides young people with skills in the creative arts for 4 years.  Charlotte is currently Regional Vice Chair (Europe) for the UNICEF International Council and chairs the Youth Taskforce (an initiative within UNICEF's International Council which focuses on empowering youth and young people around the world).  Charlotte graduated with a degree in psychology from Cardiff University.   Charlotte currently lives in London with her husband Peter, 2 cats and 1 dog (and her 3 young people when they decide to come home!).

Kavita Ratna, Board Member

Director of Advocacy, The Concerned for Working Children

  • Kavita Ratna is Director of Advocacy at the Concerned for Working Children, a non-governmental organisation working towards a better future for working children in India and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize thrice. She has worked at the organisation for over 30 years and with the International Movement of Working Children since its foundation in 1996. Beyond the working children’s movement, Ms Ratna is an internationally recognised resource person on child participation and contributed to the development of the General Comment no. 12 on children’s right to be heard. She has also worked with several international and national organisations including the Save the Children, SIDA, UNICEF, ECPAT – International, and ILO.

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Child and Youth Advisory Board

Aksel, Denmark

Daniel, Spain

Faisal, Afghanistan

Lilou, France

Mahmoud, Sierra Leone

Neisya, Indonesia

Rebeca, Mexico

Shanzay, Pakistan

Valeska, Ecuador

Vyasaraj, India

Honorary Members

Laura Lundy, Honorary Member

Co-Director of the Centre for Children’s Rights and Professor of Children's Rights, Queen’s University, Belfast and Professor of Law, University College Cork

  • Professor Laura Lundy is a pioneer of the theory of child participation in decision making systems which affect them. She is Co-Director of the Centre for Children’s Rights and Professor of Children's Rights at Queen’s University, Belfast, and Professor of Law at University College Cork. She is Joint Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Children’s Rights and a qualified barrister at law. Professor Lundy’s ‘Lundy Model’ for child participation has been adopted by various institutions, including the European Commission, the World Health Organisation, and UNICEF. Professor Lundy has written extensively on children’s right to education as well as on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and supported the development of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment No. 19.

Shriraksha, Honorary Member

Member of the Children’s Collective (Makkala Sangha), Karnataka, India

  • Shriraksha is a powerful voice in the Children’s Collective movement - locally known as Makkala Sangha - facilitated by our partner organisation, The Concerned for Working Children in Karnataka, India.

    We have ha    d the privilege of working with her on several campaigns, where she consistently inspires peers and adults alike with her passion, commitment, and leadership in advancing child rights.  

    Makkala Sanghas are child-led collectives that promote the rights to protection, provision, and participation.  They include diverse groups of children – migrant children, children with disabilities, and out-of-school children – and influence policy across Karnataka.

    Shriraksha’s impact is tangible: her Sangha halted illegal alcohol sales in her village by taking action through the local council. She has also helped shift authorities’ perspectives on disability through her participation in the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights Grievances Bench. Internationally, she champions child rights and has been a leading force in the global Child and Youth Advisory Board on the International Day of Play, endorsed by the UN General Assembly in May 2024.

Geneva office

Louise Thivant

Executive Director

Jens Aerts

Special Advisor - Child-friendly Urban Planning

Katie Reid

Special Advisor - Child Participation & Climate

Reetta Mikkola

Participation & Program Manager

Amine Bidar

Program Assistant

Diarra Diop

Special Advisor - Child Rights Mainstreaming, Advocacy & Policy

Paola Bernal Fuentes

Special Advisor - Social Policy & Protection

Karen Scott

Special Advisor - Child Protection, Safeguarding & Participation

Zoe Speekenbrink

Child Participation & Inclusion Specialist

Alvin Leung

Special Advisor - Monitoring & Evaluation

Contact us

Child and Youth Friendly Governance Project
Maison de la Paix, Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2, CP 1672 
1202 Geneva, Switzerland

+41 76 643 97 98

info@childfriendlygovernance.org

Our team is happy to answer your questions about our work and how we can help you. Please fill in the contact form below and we will be in touch as soon as possible.