Felice Gaer
Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, American Jewish Committee

 
  • Why is the ICC of particular importance to Jewish organizations and the population that they represent? (0:53) Audio Video
  • Why is it important from the point of view of Jewish organizations to ensure that crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide do not go unpunished? (0:43) Audio Video
  • Some have called the ICC an outgrowth of the Nuremberg Tribunal. Does the ICC represent a continuation of the legacy of Nuremberg? (0:44) Audio Video
  • Is the ICC fair? (2:13) Audio Video

Biography

Felice Gaer is a Vice Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. She is also the Director of The Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights of the American Jewish Committee. In her twenty years in the human rights field, Ms. Gaer has conceptualized, planned and conducted research and advocacy on many aspects of human rights, including freedom of religion, the human rights of women, the rights of national and religious minorities and the prohibition against torture.

Ms. Gaer is a member of the International Human Rights Council at The Carter Center, and serves on the Steering Committee of Human Rights Watch/Helsinki. In addition, she is the Vice President of the International League for Human Rights, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Board of Directors of the Andrei Sakharov Foundation. In 1998, Ms. Gaer was chair of the Steering Committee for the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a coalition of more than 100 organizations.

Ms. Gaer was appointed as a public member of nine U.S. delegations to UN human rights negotiations between 1993 and 1999, including the UN Commission on Human Rights, the World Conference on Women (1995), and the World Conference on Human Rights (1993).

Previously, she served as Executive Director for European Programs at the United Nations Association of the United States, as the Executive Director of the International League for Human Rights and prior to that, as Program Officer at the Ford Foundation (1974-1981).

She is a member of the Board of Directors of International Dispute Resolution Associates and was a member of the Atlantic Council’s advisory panel on human rights and ethnic conflict.

Author of more than 25 published articles on human rights issues and numerous fact-finding reports, she has recently completed a major study on the advancement of the human rights of women within the United Nations system, which has been published by the American Bar Association.