Dominique Hasler has been a member of the Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein since 30 March 2017. Member of the Liechtenstein Government from 2017 to 2021 with responsibility for the Ministry of Home Affairs, Education and the Environment. Since 2021, she has headed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport.

Over 30 years of professional experience in several intergovernmental sectors of the Council of Europe, involving co-operation, monitoring and standard setting, as well as in the Parliamentary Assembly. She has worked as Director in the field of legal co-operation, judicial reform and efficiency of justice. During her career she provided political advice to the Council of Europe leadership (Director of SG Private Office), led intergovernmental co-operation, developed and implemented multi-disciplinary and multi-annual strategies. Presently Director General of Democracy and Human Dignity (DG2), her areas of responsibility include sport values, children’s rights, trafficking in human beings, gender equality, violence against women, addressing intolerance, civil society and youth participation, education, culture and natural heritage. Finnish nationality. Studied at McGill University (Canada); mother of three. 

Chair of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), Attaché for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport at the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the European Union and International and European Affairs Advisor at the Ministry of Sport of Luxembourg.

On 1 January 2022, Ms Leyla Kayacik took up her functions as the Special Representative on Migration and Refugees of Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić. A long-time member of the Council of Europe Secretariat, Ms Kayacik brings over 30 years of international experience in the field of human rights and the rule of law. During that time, she has served in a number of roles, including in the then European Commission of Human Rights (European Court of Human Rights), the Secretariat of the European Social Charter, in the field and as Director of the Private Office of the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General. Ms Kayacik holds a master’s degree in law from the University of Strasbourg and a master’s degree in English language and literature from the University of Nice. She is fluent in Turkish, French and English.

A graduate of Political Science from the Universities of Sofia (BG) and York (UK), Irena Guidikova has been working at the Council of Europe since 1994. Her carrier has taken her from youth policy and research, though the future of democracy in Europe, to cultural policy and inclusion and anti-discrimination. Her work involved producing standards on e-governance and e-voting, party financing and internet literacy, safeguarding diversity via film funding, and multi-level policies for intercultural integration of migrants and refugees. She has also been policy advisor in the Private Office of the Secretary General, the coordinator of the World Forum for Democracy and has lead the Inclusion and Anti-discrimination programmes of the Council of Europe, dealing with countering hate speech, LGBTI equality, migrant inclusion and minority rights. She is currently Head of the Children’s rights and Sport Values Department.

A former defender on the football field, Khalida is now a defender and champion of human rights around the globe. As Co-founder of Afghanistan’s first National team, she used football to break down barriers for women and girls in Afghanistan. As a refugee in Denmark, she is now using sport and education to empower ethnic minority women and promote inclusion in Denmark and the EU through Girl Power.  She played a key role in the evacuation of female footballers from Afghanistan in 2021.

Cyrille arrived in the UK from Cameroon in 2014 and claimed asylum. Whilst waiting for his asylum application to be assessed, he experienced some difficult times, and says weightlifting saved him from some of his lowest moments. A few years later, he was granted Refugee status and started to rebuild his life in the UK. He enrolled on a BSc in Nursing (Mental health) at Middlesex University and graduated with a first-class degree in 2019. 

Cyrille was granted a sports scholarship by his University and later by the International Olympic Committee which supported his training and enabled him to train and compete. He currently holds multiple British and English weightlifting records and recently won the 2023 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Delhi, India for Team England. He represented the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at Tokyo 2020, obtaining a very good 10th place in his weightlifting event.

Cyrille currently works as a community psychiatric nurse in the National Health Service, and sees caring for others as a way of “giving back” to the community that supported him during his low moments. Cyrille also volunteers as a UNHCR high profile supporter and uses his experience to motivate and inspire refugees and displaced people around the world.

Gerald Mballe is Special Olympics’ first-ever Advisor for Unified with Refugees programme, helping further strengthen and expand the reach and impact of the initiative. Gerald was first introduced to the world of Special Olympics in 2015 in Turin, Italy as a legally resettled refugee, after fleeing Cameroon as an unaccompanied minor due to several attacks by Boko Haram. His trajectory since has been an inspiration fueled by hard work and a passion for inclusion, equality, and acceptance. His commitment to inclusive sports, and social inclusion worldwide, was captured by ESPN, highlighting his example as a Game Changer. His powerful intervention at the 2018 Special Olympics Refugee Forum in Amsterdam moved the renowned journalist David Eades, global reporter for the BBC, to recommend Gerald to become a Young Leader for Sport at the Service of Humanity, a platform created by Pope Francis that uses sport to drive our shared humanity across the world. Gerald has been involved in various engagements at global convenings to support the inclusion message including speaking at the FIGC Press conference during the European Football Week, Laureus Summit in Paris and finally participating at the AVAIL Project exchange visit to the UK (an EU-funded project). Gerald understood the need to ensure that the athletes of Special Olympics and migrant youth alike were prioritized by the international development sector, which motivated him to speak directly to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in early 2020 in Geneva, Switzerland. This occasion led to the development of an important new global partnership –a significant milestone for the Special Olympics movement. Gerald is the recipient of the International Sports and Culture Association Integration of Refugees Through Sport Role Model Award, the Beyond Sport 2021 Courageous Use of Sport Award, and recently was awarded a top artistic distinction by the UN Refugee Agency as part of the Youth with Refugees Art Contest. Gerald is currently studying Political Science and International Relations at Niccolò Cusano University and continues to be a Unified Partner for Special Olympics Italy.

Michelle Mills is the lead researcher on Sport for Development (S4D) at UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight. Her innovative research delves into the impacts of S4D programmes on the well-being of children and youth across the globe, with a particular focus on those who have faced the challenges of displacement. Before her pivotal role at UNICEF, Michelle contributed significantly to child-centered policy interventions within the United Nations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). Michelle holds a master’s degree from Stanford University in International Education Administration and Policy Analysis. Her dedication to advancing the rights and well-being of children is a personal mission and has been a consistent thread throughout her academic and professional career.

Jeroen Carrin joined the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) in September 2019, shortly after its creation by the International Olympic Committee, and manages its programmes across the globe. He orchestrated the expansion of ORF’s programmes in support of displaced young people worldwide, co-creating initiatives and developing innovative partnership models that optimise impact.

Jeroen has dedicated his professional life to supporting people affected by armed conflict, violence and natural disasters. Prior to joining the Olympic Refuge Foundation, Jeroen worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross, where for over a decade he directed the humanitarian response to conflict-affected populations in Uganda, DR Congo, Sudan, Syria, Colombia and Lebanon. Then, as the Humanitarian Director of the Belgian Red Cross, he worked with Red Cross / Red Crescent National Societies to design and deliver solutions to crisis-hit communities in Mozambique, Malawi, Nepal, South Sudan and the Great Lakes area.

After focusing on crisis recovery and emergency assistance for so long, he believes sport is a positive way to bring people together with dignity, to expand horizons, and promote healthy bodies and minds.

Jeroen holds an Engineering degree from the University of London and a Masters in Economics from the University of Lausanne HEC Business School.

Anne Méaux, Social Innovation Manager at PLAY International, a Sport for Development NGO based in France, with activities in various African and European countries. Initially a social worker working with children with disabilities and young refugees, she then became manager of a center for asylum seekers and refugees in France. She joined PLAY International in May 2021 and is responsible for the development and deployment of the NGO innovative programs. She oversees PLAY's Refugee Inclusion Through Sport programs, from the conception of sports contents (for children, families, and unaccompanied minors) to the training and accompaniment of professionals (social workers, coaches, teachers...) in France and on a European scale. She also participates in several working and advocacy groups to promote the social inclusion of refugees through sport in France and internationally. 

Katerina Salta is Project Coordinator at the International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA). She has studied Marketing in Athens and since 2015, she has been working in providing solidarity and support to refugee and migrant populations in Greece. She has designed and managed educational and recreational programmes for adults and children focusing on sports. Among others, she has collaborated with Barcelona Foundation, Youri Djorkaeff Foundation, UEFA, UEFA Foundation for Children, UNHCR and UNICEF. She is the Founder of Hestia FC, the first refugee and migrant women football team in Southeastern Europe, an initiative recognised as a best practice by UEFA and UNHCR.

Charlotte Girard Fabre is Secretary General of IFSO, a handball and curling referee at national level and a former olympic ice hockey referee. She was elected Chair of the Consultative Committee of the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) in June 2023.

I am 41 years old, I have been a high-level sportswoman since the age of 13, and I wish to represent this new generation of committed women. The quest for excellence and the requirement of performance led me to referee at the Olympic Games in Sochi (Russia) 2014 and Pyeonchang (South Korea) 2018, and I sharpen my skills and expertise every day to honor my 10 Olympic rings.

A fighter at heart and an explorer of new horizons, I push my limits in sport as well as in my professional life today and tomorrow. Decision-making, time management and conflict management are among my areas of expertise. Resolutely focused on excellence and performance, I accompany your teams collectively to develop a disruptive and pragmatic approach.

An ardent defender of gender diversity and the place of women in our society, I am also passionate about civic engagement: elected Secretary General of the International Federation for Sports Officials, Secretary General of the French Association of Multisport Referees and Ambassador of several think-tanks, I have also chosen to act at the highest institutional level (Ministries, UNSS, FFHB,...).

As a member of the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Milli Majlis, Nigar Arpadarai is both an active community advocate and representative of Azerbaijan internationally. She was elected member of Parliament in February, 2020 after 15 years of work experience in international organizations as well as sports and telecom sectors.

Representing central district of capital city, Baku, Nigar also actively engages in the protection of women’s and children’s rights. Her experience and knowledge have provided her with a deep understanding of issues around wellbeing of communities and contributed to Nigar’s active role as a member of 2 Committees of the Parliament (Milli Majlis) – Committee on Foreign and Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Committee on Family, Women and Children.

Nigar is also a member of Azerbaijani Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), where she contributes to the work of Committees on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons and Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development. She is a PACE rapporteur on Integration of Refugees and Migrants through sport.

Nigar is also a chairman of the Working Group on Azerbaijan-Portugal inter-parliamentary relations.

Prior to becoming a member of parliament of Azerbaijan, Nigar was the Head of marketing and communications department and official spokesperson for Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix from its inception in 2016.

Nigar participated in the establishment of the Delegation of the European Commission in Azerbaijan in 2008.

Later on, Nigar worked at one of the biggest telecom companies in Azerbaijan. Her pursuit of community support inspired her to envision and implement leading CSR and PR projects in the country.

Nigar holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Law & International Relations from Baku State University.

Nigar is married and has two sons.

Nick Sore heads the Sport Section at the UN Refugee Agency’s headquarters in Geneva.  His Team works with sport and non-sport actors to leverage the potential of the sport eco-system for people who have been forced to flee.  Nick has more than 20 years’ experience of developing partnerships for and working with children and youth in Global North, Global South, development and humanitarian contexts.  Nick’s previous roles have included working as UNHCR’s Global Adolescent and Youth Advisor and as a Child Protection Officer in the field.  Nick has a degree in International Development and Food Policy and a Masters in International Human Rights Law and Public Policy.

Tanya Rütti is co-CEO of the Scort Foundation. Scort's work focuses on education, peacebuilding and the inclusion of refugees and people with disabilities through sport.  As a co-convenor of the Sport for Refugee Coalition, the foundation also advocates for the positive role that sport can play in the life of refugees. Personally, Tanya has been active in the field of Sports for Development for more than 18 years in various communication, advocacy and project management positions in Africa and Europe. She has studied Sports Management and has a Master's degree in Social Sciences. Tanya has a wealth of knowledge and experience in linking sports and the international co-operation world to transform communities. She is passionate about using sports to promote education, social cohesion and lifelong learning.

As a child, football was always Patricia’s life and her dream was to be able to dedicate herself to it professionally. Over time, flying became another of her passions and becoming an aviation pilot was on her list of goals to achieve. Patricia studied Audiovisual Communication at the University of Valencia. Upon finishing her degree, she prepared for the competitive exams to enter the Armed Forces and became the first female jet pilot in the Navy.

After eight years in the military, she decided to fulfil her other dream: to play football. So she went to the United States to become a football coach.

While her path was not easy, the motivation to overcome the obstacles and the desire to live her life in her own way, has allowed her to realise all of her dreams. When in the United States, Patricia decided to go to Uganda with only a football and football boots to help children and women with AIDS and try to improve their living conditions and their future through football.

Embarking on this adventure changed her life. She discovered what true happiness was. They taught her to live with nothing, to share everything. In short, they showed her how to live a really happy life.

Today, she lives in Valencia and works as a columnist for the sports newspaper AS and works on new projects to improve women's and children's rights through her projects Goals for Freedom and Proyecto Supera-T.

Diana Santos is an adviser at the Cabinet of the Portuguese Secretary of State for Youth and Sports since 2018. As an adviser, she follows, among others, the topics of school sports, sport for all, international organisations and the prevention and combat of violence, racism, xenophobia, and other forms of violence in sports contexts.

Diana holds a PhD in Physical Activity and Health (2013) from the Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon and a Bachelor in Sport Sciences from the same institution (2007) and has worked as a researcher and Professor in the field of physical activity and sports.

Charlotte Girard Fabre is Secretary General of IFSO, a handball and curling referee at national level and a former olympic ice hockey referee. She was elected Chair of the Consultative Committee of the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) in June 2023.

I am 41 years old, I have been a high-level sportswoman since the age of 13, and I wish to represent this new generation of committed women. The quest for excellence and the requirement of performance led me to referee at the Olympic Games in Sochi (Russia) 2014 and Pyeonchang (South Korea) 2018, and I sharpen my skills and expertise every day to honor my 10 Olympic rings.

A fighter at heart and an explorer of new horizons, I push my limits in sport as well as in my professional life today and tomorrow. Decision-making, time management and conflict management are among my areas of expertise. Resolutely focused on excellence and performance, I accompany your teams collectively to develop a disruptive and pragmatic approach.

An ardent defender of gender diversity and the place of women in our society, I am also passionate about civic engagement: elected Secretary General of the International Federation for Sports Officials, Secretary General of the French Association of Multisport Referees and Ambassador of several think-tanks, I have also chosen to act at the highest institutional level (Ministries, UNSS, FFHB,...).

A graduate of Political Science from the Universities of Sofia (BG) and York (UK), Irena Guidikova has been working at the Council of Europe since 1994. Her carrier has taken her from youth policy and research, though the future of democracy in Europe, to cultural policy and inclusion and anti-discrimination. Her work involved producing standards on e-governance and e-voting, party financing and internet literacy, safeguarding diversity via film funding, and multi-level policies for intercultural integration of migrants and refugees. She has also been policy advisor in the Private Office of the Secretary General, the coordinator of the World Forum for Democracy and has lead the Inclusion and Anti-discrimination programmes of the Council of Europe, dealing with countering hate speech, LGBTI equality, migrant inclusion and minority rights. She is currently Head of the Children’s rights and Sport Values Department.

A graduate of Political Science from the Universities of Sofia (BG) and York (UK), Irena Guidikova has been working at the Council of Europe since 1994. Her carrier has taken her from youth policy and research, though the future of democracy in Europe, to cultural policy and inclusion and anti-discrimination. Her work involved producing standards on e-governance and e-voting, party financing and internet literacy, safeguarding diversity via film funding, and multi-level policies for intercultural integration of migrants and refugees. She has also been policy advisor in the Private Office of the Secretary General, the coordinator of the World Forum for Democracy and has lead the Inclusion and Anti-discrimination programmes of the Council of Europe, dealing with countering hate speech, LGBTI equality, migrant inclusion and minority rights. She is currently Head of the Children’s rights and Sport Values Department.

Nick Sore heads the Sport Section at the UN Refugee Agency’s headquarters in Geneva.  His Team works with sport and non-sport actors to leverage the potential of the sport eco-system for people who have been forced to flee.  Nick has more than 20 years’ experience of developing partnerships for and working with children and youth in Global North, Global South, development and humanitarian contexts.  Nick’s previous roles have included working as UNHCR’s Global Adolescent and Youth Advisor and as a Child Protection Officer in the field.  Nick has a degree in International Development and Food Policy and a Masters in International Human Rights Law and Public Policy.

Monica Namy is an experienced and passionate Social and Environmental Sustainability professional and project manager.

Through educational activities, community-building, the evaluation of grant applications and personalised advice, she supports UEFA’s 55 member associations with their own Sustainability work. 

Monica also leads UEFA’s Solidarity, Football for all Abilities and Refugee Support policies, closely working with UNHCR and other partners for the latter.

President of the International Sport & Culture Association (ISCA). Holds a Master of Science in Sport, organisational development, sport policies, social sciences and international politics from Copenhagen University, Denmark. 

Vice-Chair of the Bureau of the Consultative Committee of the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS). 

Vice-Chair of the Danish sport for all organisation DGI.

Guido Battaglia, Head of Policy and Outreach, manages relationships with governments, IGOs, and sports bodies, navigating the politics of international sport and the representation of the Centre’s agenda in global and regional fora. Guido, formerly of the World Economic Forum and the Institute for Human Rights and Business, is an expert in stakeholder engagement, responsible business conduct and public-private partnerships.

Waad al-Kateab is a Syrian activist and award-winning filmmaker, whose debut feature film, For Sama, won a BAFTA for Best Documentary and received a nomination at the Academy Awards 2020.

Waad’s new film, We Dare To Dream, follows the steadfast journey of athletes in the Olympic Refugee Team. The film had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023 and is set to premiere in the UK in November 2023, followed by a theatrical release. We Dare To Dream, commissioned by IOC for XTR, received the Grand Prize Documentary Award at the Heartland International Film Festival.

Waad now lives in London with her family, and is also the co-founder of the Action For Sama advocacy campaign.