Friday, 9th March 2018

ECPAT UK is delighted to announce Katherine Mulhern as the new Chair of ECPAT UK – a leading child rights charity working to protect children from trafficking, abuse and exploitation. Katherine takes over from Ian Hanham who stood down last month. Ian will continue to serve on the board as a Trustee.

Katherine brings with her an impressive track record of broad experience in the field of law and human rights. As well as having been a senior partner in an international law firm with a cross-border practice, she is currently Executive Director of the International Senior Lawyers Project, a UK and US based non-governmental organization (NGO) which provides legal advice for civil society and emerging governments. Katherine was previously Executive Director of the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa, an Africa-based human rights litigation NGO. 

Welcoming the announcement of his successor, Ian Hanham, said:

“I am delighted that Katherine has accepted her new role as the Chair of ECPAT UK. She does so at a really exciting time for the organisation, with its ambitious new strategy championing the cause of the rights of children to be protected from trafficking and abuse in the UK and abroad. Katherine will be an excellent Chair of a small but highly respected and influential charity with an impressive track record of successes in its mission for every child to be protected against trafficking.

It has been a huge privilege for me to be Chair of ECPAT UK. I wish Katherine all the best in the role. I know that she will have the full support of an experienced and passionate Board of Trustees and the executive team at ECPAT UK.” 

Responding to the announcement of her election as the new Chair, Katherine said:

“It is an honour to have been asked to be Chair of ECPAT UK, whose work I have admired for many years. ECPAT UK plays an important and unique role in educating and influencing governments, professionals and the public on their responsibility to protect and respect the rights of children everywhere to be protected from abuse. The recent past has seen ECPAT UK grow rapidly alongside its growing influence on children’s rights, policies and practices in the UK and across the EU and in key international forums. Its long history and expertise makes ECPAT UK an organisation that policy makers and governments take seriously.

I am very much looking forward to my new role providing leadership to the Board and taking the lead, on behalf of the Board, in supporting the Chief Executive in her role.”

ENDS

Press contacts

Bharti Patel, CEO, ECPAT UK: 020 7607 2136, [email protected]

Chloe Setter, Head of Advocacy, Policy & Campaigns, ECPAT UK: 07890 120834 [email protected]