“In a world where conflicts seem to constantly arise and cascade all around, the initiative launched by the UN Secretary General to create a High Level Advisory Board on Mediation is to my understanding a significant sign of hope in that it brings a diversity of historical background and political experience around the discussion on the potential healing power of the spoken word, of dialogue. This of course will only work if we, as a collective, are able to establish trust and truthfulness as the fundamentals of our mission and of our internal practice as a group.”

Ms. Pierre-Louis was Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and Public Security of Haiti from September 2008 to November 2009. Her appointment followed many years as a dedicated advocate for education, access to information and culture. In 1995 she became Executive Director of the Knowledge and Freedom Foundation (FOKAL); upon leaving office in 2009 she returned to FOKAL as president and coordinated post-earthquake reconstruction projects. In 2014, she was appointed by the then Secretary-General to his High-Level Panel on Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries.