The CTI Secretariat supports the seven Core States in realising their vision of global ratification and implementation of UNCAT, by providing policy, technical and strategic advice, and delivering an annual programme of activities of constructive dialogues, visits, capacity building seminars and technical advice to governments and other stakeholders. This work is supported by a roster of expert consultants, specialists and advisers, and they collaborate closely with a number of trusted partner organisations. The Secretariat is based in Geneva, Switzerland, though its network is global.
Gayethri M. Pillay
Bio: Gayethri M. Pillay (Seychelles) is Head of Secretariat of the Convention against Torture Initiative (CTI). She has held this position since November 2021, providing strategic and policy advice to the six CTI Core States to deliver their 10-year vision aspiring to reduce and prevent the risks of torture and ill-treatment through the universal ratification and implementation of the UN Convention against Torture (UNCAT), by 2024. Gayethri is the primary facilitator of the CTI’s year-round programme of activities and conferences that enable government-to-government exchanges, alliance building, and valuable experience sharing and knowledge transfer. Gayethri joined the CTI Secretariat in February 2021 as Senior Adviser, as served as Acting Head of Secretariat from July to November 2021. Prior to joining CTI, Gayethri was Chargée D’affaires e.p and Head of Seychelles’ Permanent Mission in Geneva. Ms Pillay has worked in numerous capacities within the Government of Seychelles, including as Director of the International Law and Human Rights Unit, and as the Director of Seychelles’ National Committee on Trafficking in Persons. As a diplomat and legal expert, Ms Pillay has extensive experience in the national coordination and implementation of international human obligations. Ms Pillay holds a LLM in Public Law and Human Rights Law from the University College of London (UCL) and a LLB from the University of Kent. Speaks English, French, Seychellois Creole and Tamil.
Laura Blanco
Bio: Laura Blanco serves as CTI’s Legal Adviser, a role she assumed in February 2024. She has been with CTI since 2018, having previously held the positions of Legal Officer and Legal Researcher. As CTI’s Legal Adviser, she provides expert legal advice on States’ implementation of their obligations under the UN Convention against Torture. She also serves as CTI’s focal point for engagement with UN human rights and anti-torture mechanisms in Geneva, and leads CTI’s UNCAT ratification strategy in Asia, supporting the remaining seven non-States-parties in their efforts to consider becoming parties to the Convention. Prior to joining CTI, Laura worked as a Casework Assistant (on a consultancy basis) at London-based REDRESS, supporting the litigation of cases involving Latin American torture survivors and their relatives before the Inter-American human rights system. She previously gained experience at the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute in London and at the Catalan Association for Solidarity and Aid to Refugees (ACSAR) in Barcelona. A Spanish-qualified lawyer, Laura holds an LL.M. in Transnational Law from King’s College London as well as a Master’s degree in Legal Practice from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona (UPF). She speaks Spanish and Catalan, English and French.
Marion Vironda Dubray
Bio: Marion Vironda Dubray serves as a Human Rights Officer within the Secretariat of the Convention Against Torture Initiative. Prior to joining CTI in June 2025, she was a Legal Adviser at the International Commission of Jurists. Previously, Ms Vironda Dubray worked as a Researcher in the international project “Right to Truth, Truth through Right(s), Mass Crimes Impunity and Transitional Justice” and as a Legal Adviser for the French Ministry of Defence, among other positions. In these capacities, she has gained extensive experience providing legal advice and delivering capacity-building activities on the implementation of international human rights obligations. Ms Vironda Dubray holds an LLM in International Law from the University of Maastricht (The Netherlands) and another in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (Switzerland). She will obtain her PhD in International Law from the University of Geneva in 2025. She speaks English, French, and Spanish, with a good understanding of Italian.
Vanina Eckert
Bio: Vanina Eckert holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from Lund University (Sweden), and a Master’s degree in International and European Law from Strasbourg University (France). She has over eight years of experience in human rights policy and capacity building, transitional justice, peacebuilding, and programme management in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
At the NGO Coginta, she led various EU-funded projects in Sub-Saharan and Central Africa, supporting justice and security sector reform with governments and civil society organisations. Based in Guinea for four years, she collaborated closely with the Ministry of Justice and local NGOs to develop a free legal aid system for victims of human rights violations, including detainees and survivors of gender-based violence.
Her previous experience in high-level policy dialogue, legal advice, and capacity-building at the Council of Europe, the United Nations Global Compact Office, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights also demonstrates a track record of delivering impactful programmes to support CTI’s mission.
Pascal Imhof
Bio: Pascal Imhof is a Swiss professional with a background in international law and practical experience in multilateral diplomacy, peacebuilding, and human rights. Before joining CTI, he worked on reconciliation and social cohesion with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Sri Lanka. Prior to that, he contributed to the work of the Security Council team at the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations in New York. His experience also includes shorter assignments with DM and the Swiss section of the International Social Service, both NGOs, as well as with the Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies. He holds a Master’s degree in International Law from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Geneva.Â
Eva Kehoe
Bio: Eva serves as an Office Administrator and Personal Assistant to the Head of the Secretariat, Gayethri Pillay. She supports the work of the secretariat and ensures smooth office operations, effective coordination, and project management. Prior to joining CTI, she worked in the NGO sector and corporate administration, focusing on executive support and management. Academically, she has concentrated on human rights, sustainability, and education, recently completing her MA in Sustainable Development from the University of Geneva. She speaks English, French, Czech, and Slovak.
Stella McDowell
Bio: Stella McDowell (British) is the Communications Adviser for CTI. Her role involves producing content including press releases, speeches, statements, digital communications, publications and reports, managing media relations, and supporting campaigns and events. Prior to joining CTI, Stella worked as a humanitarian writer and communications consultant and was based with NGOs in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, South Sudan and Somaliland. She holds a master’s degree in International Law in Armed Conflict from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, a bachelor’s in English Literature, Media and Cultural Studies from Kingston University in London, and a diploma in Fine Art from the City and Guilds of London School of Art. She speaks English, French and Spanish.
If you are interested in joining us as an intern or consultant, please contact us at info@cti.international.
Please see below the former heads of the CTI secretariat.
Dr. Alice Edwards
Bio: Dr. Alice Edwards (British-Australian), current UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, was Head of Secretariat of the Convention against Torture Initiative (CTI) from January 2016 until July 2021. She provided strategic and policy advice to the Core States to deliver their vision to reduce and prevent the risks of torture and ill-treatment worldwide, and acted as the primary facilitator of CTI’s year-round programme of activities and conferences that enable government-to-government exchanges, alliance building, and valuable experience sharing and knowledge transfer. During her tenure, she successfully built up the initiative from its inception as a small start-up into a strong and influential initiative with its own identity and achievements, expanded CTI’s global networks, and created CTI’s Advice Hub and implementation tools and other resources providing concrete practical advice for States. She shepherded ministerial-level delegations and facilitated numerous global, regional and national seminars and conferences including in Africa (Angola, the Gambia, Ghana, Morocco, Sudan), Asia-Pacific (Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Samoa, Tonga), Europe (Copenhagen, Geneva, Vienna), and Latin America and the Caribbean (Bahamas, Barbados, Chile, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, Suriname). Prior to CTI, Dr. Edwards was the Chief of Section – Protection Policy and Legal Advice at the UN Refugee Agency (2010-15), previously having served in UNHCR field assignments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Morocco and Rwanda. She has also worked within the NGO and academic sectors, has published over 30 books and articles, and sits on the board of a number of leading journals.
Mr. Lee Hegarty
Bio: Lee Hegarty (British) was Head of the CTI Secretariat from April-December 2015. He is a human rights expert who has worked on human rights and justice issues at national and international levels. Prior to CTI, his experience included lengthy spells leading projects on political and criminal justice reform as part of the Northern Ireland peace process and heading up the security and justice section of the human rights department of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
CTI’s expert team responds confidentially to governments and national institutions, offering one-to-one technical support on a wide range of issues relevant to the implementation of UNCAT – such as police and law enforcement, legislative review and reform, policy drafting, prison reform, complaints, investigations and prosecutions, and redress for victims. We have advised many governments and supported them in taking action on torture prevention, eradication and redress.Â
Contact us at info@cti.international.