Our Team
Dr. Mina Laghzal
President of Defenders for Human Rights, Alliance Coordinator
Dr. Mina Laghzal holds a Doctorate in Economics. She currently serves as the President of the organization Defenders for Human Rights and assumes the role of Coordinator for the Sahrawi NGO Alliance.
Dr. Laghzal is actively engaged in human rights advocacy, with a specific focus on the Moroccan Sahara region. She participates in initiatives aimed at raising awareness among students and researchers regarding human rights mechanisms, leveraging her field expertise, advocacy tools, and a vision for sustainable development grounded in human dignity.
Dr. Laghzal remains committed to supporting and implementing projects for the empowerment of Sahrawi women. She works to reinforce the public narrative regarding Sahrawi women as pillars of influence and contribution, actively participating in shaping governance, entrepreneurship, and advocacy in the region.
Furthermore, she contributes to the organization of parallel events during sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council and the submission of parallel and thematic reports for the reviews of Treaty Bodies and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism for North African states.
Her work focuses on:
- Training new generations of students who are conscious of human rights issues within conflict contexts.
- Addressing and engaging with narratives surrounding the situation in the Moroccan Sahara.
- Denouncing grave violations committed in the Tindouf camps
- Engaging with the international community regarding these issues.
Dr. Mina Laghzal is a prominent figure in Sahrawi civil society, combining her economic expertise with rights-based advocacy through her leadership roles across multiple organizations.
Additionally, her symbolic role as a Sahrawi woman holding a civic leadership position embodies the success story of women’s empowerment in the Moroccan Southern Provinces, reinforcing the role of women in governance and development.
Abdelouahab Gain
Secretary General of the Alliance, President of Africa Watch
Mr. Abdelouahab Gain is a distinguished civil actor, academic, and leader within Moroccan non-governmental organizations. He is recognized for his efforts in the fields of human rights, civil society, and issues related to the Moroccan Sahara.
He currently holds the position of Secretary-General of the Sahrawi NGO Alliance and President of the African Organization for Human Rights Monitoring (Africa Watch). He has participated in numerous international forums, including sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Mr. Gain’s civil and political engagement is anchored in advocacy and human rights work. This involves institutional defense at both national and international levels to confront perpetrators, as well as active participation in international conferences and sessions of the UN Human Rights Council.
Furthermore, he contributes to the leadership of civil society in the North Africa region, enhancing its capacities in relation to rights-based advocacy and the deconstruction of hate speech and separatist narratives.