Gina Romero, a national of Colombia, was appointed as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association and took up her functions in April 2024. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Romero led several initiatives for the promotion and defense of democracy and the rule of law. She is one of the founders and served for nearly 10 years as Executive Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy(Redlad). In this position, she also served as Secretariat of the Civil Society Pillar of the Community of Democracies. In these capacities, she has had direct relations with multiple stakeholders (including governments, civil society, academic, and private sector representatives) in 19 countries in the American Continent, and at least 35 in Europe, Africa, and Asia.