Mr. Gehad Madi

Mr. Gehad Madi was appointed by the Human Rights Council in October 2023 as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants starting on 1 November 2023.

Before his appointment as the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Mr. Madi served as a Committee Member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child from 2011 to 2023. During dialogues with State Parties, Mr. Madi provided advice and recommendations concerning the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum-seeking children and their families. Through the third Optional Protocol of the Convention on communication procedures, he participated in the investigations of over 100 complaints on human rights violations against migrants, refugees and asylum-seeking children and their families, where the Committee provided its decisions on such cases to concerned States. During his tenure, he also issued statements related to migrants, refugees and asylum seeking children and their families, as well as closely monitored the implementation efforts of State Parties to the Convention across the world.

Subsequently, he has also collaborated with other relevant United Nations treaty bodies namely the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women; Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families; Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Committee against Torture; Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and Human Rights Committee.

In particular, in partnership with the Committee on Migrant Workers, Mr Madi supported in the drafting of Joint General Comment No. 3 of the CMW and No. 22 of the CRC in the context of International Migration: General principles and Joint General Comment - No. 4 of the CMW and No. 23 of the CRC (2017) - on State obligations regarding the human rights of children in the context of international migration in countries of origin, transit, destination and return. He also followed activities of UNICEF, UNHCR, ILO, WHO, UNESCO, IMO and other relevant UN agencies on the rights of the child.

Prior to that, he served as the Deputy Foreign Minister and Director of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps Department to Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2008 – 2011); Egyptian Ambassador to the United Kingdom (2004 – 2008), where he also served as the General Assembly President for the International Maritime Organization from (2007 – 2009); Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2002 – 2004); Egyptian Ambassador to the Republic of India (1998 – 2002); Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for International Legal Affairs and International Treaties at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1996 – 1998); Deputy Head of Mission to the United Kingdom (1992 – 1996); Legal Advisor to the Egyptian Mission to the United Nations in New York (1986 – 1990); and Spokesperson of the Minister for Foreign Affairs (1984 – 1986).

Mr. Madi holds a Bachelor’s degree in German Language and Literature, as well as an LLB in Law from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. He speaks fluent Arabic and English, as well as intermediate German.