Global Advisory Panel

The Global Advisory Panel (GAP) is the HIV Justice Network’s international expert group comprising individuals with significant experience in HIV, human rights and social justice. The GAP is not a traditional governance board with legal responsibilities for oversight, but rather a reference group to assist us deliver on our mission by:

  • Providing feedback on our current work, activities and outputs.
  • Being both a ‘critical friend’ as well as an ambassador for the ways that we are delivering on our mission, strategically and operationally.
  • Assisting us with building strategic alliances towards the common goal of ending HIV-related criminalisation around the world.

Members have been selected on the basis that they have a) specific skills, interests, and knowledge of the issues that we work on, and how this intersects with other social justice issues and movements, and b) have indicated a willingness to serve for an initial period of two years, with the option of extending their term. Members of HJN’s Supervisory Board are also ex officio GAP members.

We would like to thank Edwin Cameron and Gennady Roschupkin who served on the GAP until December 2021.

Alexander McClelland

Nationality: Canadian / Country of residence: Canada

Alexander McClelland is Assistant Professor at the Carleton University Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice. His work focuses on the intersections of life, law and disease, where he has developed a range of collaborative and interdisciplinary academic, activist, and artistic projects to address issues of criminalisation, sexual autonomy, data protection, policing, surveillance, drug liberation, and the construction of knowledge on HIV. Alexander is a founding member of the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization.

Alexander joined the GAP in January 2020 and renewed his commitment for a further two years in January 2022.

Allan Maleche

Nationality: Kenyan / Country of residence: Kenya

Allan Maleche is the Executive Director of Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN). With his colleagues, he has litigated landmark cases that halted the forced sterilisation of women living with HIV, stopped the unjust use of public health concerns as a reason to incarcerate people living with TB, prevented the government of Kenya from making the names of children living with HIV available to the public and much more. He is a former member of the Global Fund Board representing the Developing Country NGO Delegation. Allan has over a decade of experience in promoting ethical, human rights-based approaches to health planning, programming and service delivery.

Allan joined the GAP in January 2020 and renewed his commitment for a further two years in January 2022.

Amelia Vukeya Motsepe

Nationality: South African / Country of residence: South Africa

Amelia Vukeya Motsepe is a public health and human rights lawyer, with an LLB degree from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (2002) and a LLM in International Legal Studies at Georgetown University Law Center, Washington D.C (2007). Her training in the field of human rights and social justice started in 2003 at the Constitutional Court of South Africa, where she focused on human rights, constitutional law, litigation, and research. She previously interned at the American Bar Association with a focus on HIV, and subsequently joined Section 27 (incorporating the AIDS Law Project) as a project attorney and researcher working on issues at the intersection of HIV, law, and human rights. In 2010, Amelia joined the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa as an assistant programme manager for law, human rights, and HIV, and as a co-ordinator of the law and health initiative. Amelia’s previous corporate law experience as an attorney at both Norton Rose Fulbright and Bowman’s broadened her understanding of the intersections of law, business and human rights. She is a published author, contributing to HIV and the Law in South Africa: A practitioner guide (2016) and Reducing Human Rights Related Barriers to HIV & TB Services for Key and Vulnerable Populations: A Legal Support Resource (2021). She also serves as a trustee for the South African National AIDS Council and is chair of the Governance, Social and Ethics Committee.

Amelia joined the GAP in October 2022.

Ann Fordham

Nationality: British and Thai / Country of residence: United Kingdom

Ann Fordham is the Executive Director of the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC). She leads on international advocacy efforts on drug policy and human rights, calling for reform of laws and policies that failed to reduce the scale of the drug market and have negatively impacted people who use drugs and growers of illicit crops. Ann chairs the Strategic Advisory Group to the UN on drug use and HIV, and is regularly invited to comment on global drug policy issues in the media.

Ann joined the GAP in January 2020 and renewed her commitment for a further two years in January 2022.

Anukriti Singh

Nationality: Indian / Country of residence: India

Anukriti Singh is based in New Delhi, India and currently works as the Communications and Media Officer at Global Fund Advocates Network Asia-Pacific (GFAN AP). She also serves as the Youth Steering Group Member for #GenEndIt, a movement that believes AIDS can end in our lifetime and we are the generation that will end it. Prior to this, she was a freelance journalist for a New York-based weekly, before working on national level health programmes at Evidence Action, India. Anukriti is passionate about human rights, public health, youth activism, and gender & sexual equality. She holds a degree in sociology and has experience working on sex workers rights, decriminalisation of sex work, health for all, disability justice, SRHR, gender-based violence and discrimination.

Anukriti joined the GAP in October 2022.

Cecilia Chung

Nationality: American / Country of residence: United States of America

Cecilia Chung is Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Evaluation of the Transgender Law Center, the largest transgender-led civil rights organisation in the United States. Cecilia is an internationally recognized leader in the transgender and PLHIV movements. In 2014, she founded Positively Trans, a national network of transgender people living with HIV in the U.S that focus on data collection, storytelling and advocacy. Cecilia currently serves as Board Chairperson of the Sero Project and is part of the inaugural advisory group of women living with HIV for the World Health Organization as well as contributing to, and being part of, many other volunteer networks and initiatives.

Cecilia joined the GAP in January 2020 and renewed her commitment for a further two years in January 2022.

David Haerry

Nationality: Swiss / Country of residence: Switzerland

David Haerry has been a treatment writer and conference reporter since 1996. He co-authors a database on travel and residency restrictions for people living with HIV, www.hivtravel.org. In 2015, David became Secretary General for the Swiss Academic Foundation on Education in Infectious Diseases (SAFE-ID). From 2013 to 2016, he co-chaired the Patient and Consumer Working Party at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and has served the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) in various positions since 2004. David founded Positive Council Switzerland. He has been involved in HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug development since 2005. David has been living with HIV since 1986.

David joined the GAP in January 2020 and renewed his commitment for a further two years in January 2022.

Federico Emanuel Villalba

Nationality: Argentinian / Country of residence: Argentina

Federico Emanuel Villalba (Feda) has been working with the Argentine Network of Positive Youth and Adolescents (RAJAP) since 2017, and currently serves as one of their national co-ordinators. They are devoted to assisting peers by providing technical knowledge to the service of everyday support of HIV-positive youth, supporting the organisation to broaden and develop research initiatives, building bridges between basic science and advocates and reinforcing the capacity building opportunities within the organisation. From 2019 to 2021, they were in charge of the implementation of The People Living with HIV Stigma Index 2.0 in Argentina – the first time that an organisation of young people living with HIV had carried out this study.

Federico joined the GAP in October 2022.

Jeffry Acaba

Nationality: Filipino / Country of residence: Thailand

Jeffry Acaba is Programme Officer of APCASO and Co-ordinator of the Activists Coalition on TB – Asia Pacific (ACT! AP). Jeffry is also a board member of the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), and a member of the WHO Civil Society Task Force on TB. Jeffry has more than a decade of experience in research, advocacy, and capacity strengthening of key populations, people living with HIV, TB survivors, and TB-affected communities. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in behavioural sciences from the University of the Philippines and post-graduate studies on Transnational History of Public Health in Southeast Asia from the University of Cambridge.

Jeffry joined the GAP in January 2020 and renewed his commitment for a further two years in January 2022.

Jules Kim

Nationality: Australian / Country of residence: Australia

Jules Kim is a Korean/Australian sex worker. She became the Global Coordinator of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NWSP) in January 2023.  Prior to that, she was the CEO of Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association, the peak national organisation that has been representing sex workers and sex worker organisations, collectives and projects throughout Australia since 1989. She was formely the Chairperson for the regional sex worker network, Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW) and served as the the UN Program Coordinating Board (UNPCB) NGO Delegate for the Asia Pacific for 2019-2021. Jules also represents sex workers on a number of government committees and advisory mechanisms and has provided testimony and expert advice to parliamentary hearings and inquiries in relation to sex work, migration, trafficking and law reform. She has over 20 years experience in sex work, sex worker advocacy, community development and representation.

Jules joined the GAP in January 2020 and renewed her commitment for a further two years in January 2022.

Justin Chidozie

Nationality: Nigerian / Country of residence: Nigeria

Justin Chidozie is the Executive Director of the Center for Health Education and Vulnerable Support (CHEVS), an LGBTQI youth-led organisation working within west Africa. Justin is also a member of the activist advisory committee for the Love Alliance initiative. With more than five years’ experience of working in community development, he is skilled in key population programming, advocacy and brand/communication strategy. He is passionate about meaningful youth engagement and human rights in HIV programming. Justin has a Bachelors degree in Mass Communication from Imo State University, Nigeria.

Justin joined the GAP in October 2022.

M. Alfredo González

Nationality: Argentinian and American / Country of residence: United States of America

M. Alfredo González is a medical anthropologist who has worked on HIV, homelessness and mental illness in New York City, Santo Domingo and Rio de Janeiro. Since 2009 he has been undertaking action research with Afro-Central Americans living with HIV.  Formerly Vice President of the Pan American Association of People Living with HIV, he has been an HIV activist since the late 80s, when he was a member of ACT UP/NY’s Latino Caucus and ACT UP Americas Committee, heading the international campaign supporting legal personality for the Comunidad Homosexual Argentina. He is currently working on HIV criminalisation issues with the Coalition of LGBTTIQ and Sex Worker Organizations at the Organization of American States (OAS).

Alfredo joined the GAP in January 2020 and renewed his commitment for a further two years in January 2022.

Michaela Clayton

Nationality: British / Country of residence: Namibia

Michaela Clayton is a human rights lawyer who has worked on HIV and human rights issues in Namibia, and subsequently regionally and internationally since 1989. She was the founding Director of the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA), a regional partnership of civil society organisations working together to promote a human rights based response to HIV and TB in 18 countries in southern and east Africa. She stepped down as ARASA’s Director at the end of 2019 and now works as an independent consultant.  Michaela was a long-standing member of the UNAIDS Human Rights Reference Group of which she was also the co-chair from 2011 until February 2021. She was the recipient of the 2009 Human Rights Watch and Canadian AIDS Legal Network International Award for Action on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights. Michaela holds a BA LLB (1985) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Michaela joined the GAP in January 2020 and subsequently served on the Supervisory Board for 2021. She rejoined the GAP in January 2022.

Robert Suttle

Nationality: American / Country of residence: United States of America

Robert Suttle is a prominent thought leader in the global HIV Justice movement. As a Black gay activist and a long-term survivor of HIV, he brings a unique perspective to his more than a decade of experience in decriminalization, human rights, and social justice. Leading with authenticity in movement-based advocacy for racial, social, and health justice, Robert is the chair of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation Council of Justice Leaders. He is also a co-founder of The Sero Project and was a long-standing steering committee member of the U.S. PLHIV Caucus. He has received numerous awards, including the AIDSWatch Positive Leadership Award and recognition as a 2021 POZ 100 Honoree. 

Robert joined the GAP in January 2020, renewed his commitment for a further two years in January 2022 and January 2024.

 

Ron MacInnis

Nationality: American / Country of residence: United States of America

Ron MacInnis has more than 25 years of experience promoting dialogue amongst key stakeholders in the HIV and health sectors, alongside developing new leadership and community engagement to successfully advocate for, develop, adopt, and implement HIV policies and provide high-quality services. As Deputy Director of the USAID-funded Health Policy Project (2010-2015), Ron provided oversight of the HIV portfolio, working with USAID, OGAC, and the CDC at global and country levels to synergise policy analysis and reform efforts. Currently as Technical Director of HIV and Health at Palladium International, Ron leads the diverse and complex HIV portfolio, operating globally, and in over 25 countries. Ron has been living with HIV since 1994.

Ron joined the GAP in January 2020 and renewed his commitment for a further two years in January 2022.

Rose Wanjiku

Nationality: Kenyan / Country of residence: Kenya

Rose Wanjiku is the Policy and Advocacy Officer at the African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) with more than ten years’ experience in strategic communication and advocacy. In addition, she is an advisory board member of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya and serves as a member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights Activists Group. She is the co-founder of Artists For Recognition and Acceptance (AFRA-Kenya), a women-aligned creatives’ organisation addressing oppression by generating spaces to inspire conversation on SOGIE issues in Kenya. She brings to the GAP her experience in designing and implementing advocacy strategies, resource mobilisation, research and strategic communication, and an understanding of how human rights norms and practices and global development theory can support grassroots social movement building.

Rose joined the GAP in October 2022.

Shawn Mugisha

Nationality: Ugandan / Country of residence: Uganda

Shawn Mugisha is a founding member and the Director of Advocacy and Community Liaison at Ubuntu Law and Justice Centre, an African queer feminist organisation that offers intersectional approaches that provide transformative responses to the intersectional criminalisation of key populations in Uganda. An HIV, LGBTQ+, and human rights activist with a decade of direct experience in advocacy, community mobilisation, and development, Shawn is a farmer, a grassroots frontline activist, a volunteer, a peer educator, a community paralegal, and a human rights facilitator. He serves as a member of the East African Trans Health and Advocacy Network (EATHAN), as well as on the International Working Group on Trans Men and HIV.

Shawn joined the GAP in October 2022.

Zione Jane Veronica Ntaba

Nationality: Malawian / Country of residence: Malawi

Zione Jane Veronica Ntaba is a Judge of the Malawi High Court with a passion for constitutional law, human rights law – especially as it relates to HIV/AIDS – gender, children and disability, as well as urban and development law. She is an active member of the Women Judges Association of Malawi, focused on bringing the courts closer to the people, as well as the legal empowerment of Malawians – especially women, children and marginalised people. She is also a keen facilitator and trainer on human rights. She is passionate about development issues with an emphasis on women and child rights issues. She is also a member of several local, regional, and international organisations including the African Judges Forum on HIV, AIDS, TB and Human Rights, and sits on a number of other boards, including the Disability HIV and AIDS Trust, and is also a World Vision Ambassador on Ending Child Marriages in Malawi.

Zione joined the GAP in October 2022.

Alexei Lakhov (GAP Co-ordinator, ex officio member)

Nationality: Russian / Country of residence: Germany

Alexei Lakhov has more than 15 years’ experience in HIV, hepatitis, harm reduction and drug policy. Alexei was formerly the general manager of the Estonian-based harm reduction NGO coalition, Outreach and was previously the development director of the largest Russian harm reduction organisation, Humanitarian Action.

Alexei currently represents the EECA region on the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board NGO Delegation on behalf of the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association, of which he is a Steering Committee member.

Alexei now works as a freelance consultant, including with the HIV Justice Network, where he supports our EECA work as well as GAP co-ordination.

Julian Hows (GAP Co-ordinator, ex officio member)

Nationality: British / Country of residence: Netherlands

Julian Hows has been involved in HIV activism since the start of the epidemic in the UK. He started working in HIV (rather than just volunteering) in the 1990s – a few years after his HIV diagnosis – realising that he was not going to die, unlike so many of his friends and lovers. 

From 2010 to 2017 he worked at the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) being responsible for several programmes and ground breaking initiatives such as the Global Criminalisation Scan, the People Living with HIV Stigma Index, and the mapping of the barriers to testing and treatment in Europe.

Julian now works as a freelance consultant, including with the HIV Justice Network, where he supports our online learning as well as co-ordinating the GAP.