Irene Khan joined AI as Secretary General in August 2001.
As the first woman, first Asian and first Muslim to head the world’s largest human rights organization, she has led Amnesty International through challenging developments in the wake of 11 September 2001, confronting the backlash against human rights, broadening the work of the organization in areas of economic, social and cultural rights, and initiating a process of internal reform and renewal to enable the organisation to respond flexibly and rapidly to world events. She has also sought to bring a strong focus to the issue of women’s human rights and violence against women.
Prior to joining Amnesty International, Ms. Khan worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for twenty one years, serving in many different parts of the world, including as Deputy Director in the Department of International Protection, Chief of Mission in India, Senior Legal Advisor for Asia and Senior Executive Officer to the High Commissioner.
In 1977, she helped to found Concern Universal, a UK-based development NGO.
In 2002 Ms. Khan was awarded the Pilkington “Women of the Year” award. In 2003 she received the John Owens Distinguished Alumni award from the University of Manchester. She has been awarded honorary doctorates by Ferris University (Japan) and Staffordshire University (UK). She has been voted one of the 100 Most Influential Asians in the UK. She is the winner of the 2006 Sydney Peace Prize.
She is a graduate of Harvard Law School, USA and the University of Manchester, UK. She is a Bangladesh national.
