Gina Romero is the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. Her work focuses on global advocacy, protection, and the progressive development of these fundamental rights.

Since 2005, Ms. Romero has dedicated her career to defending civic space and political participation, with a specialized focus on gender, youth, and marginalized communities. Before joining the UN, she co-founded and served as executive director of the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (REDLAD) for ten years. In this role, she also led the Civil Society Pillar of the Community of Democracies, engaging stakeholders across 19 countries in the Americas and over 35 countries globally.

A seasoned expert in mediation and intergovernmental advocacy, she has coordinated significant actions before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the OAS. Over the past 15 years, she has overseen nearly 500 reports on civic space violations and democracy backsliding. An international consultant and academic, she is a professor at Andes University and has taught at Columbia University and Externado University. She holds a degree in Government and International Relations and a Master’s from Externado University and the Institut des Hautes Études d’Amérique Latine.