IDC 2010 - Panel speaker bios

SAT, 4/10, 11:10 - 12:30 PM. Location: TBD

Good governance has progressively assumed greater importance in international development, as it provides the 'enabling environment' for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and, in particular, the elimination of poverty. The critical importance of governance in the developing world was highlighted at the Millennium Summit of 2000, where the world's leaders resolved to "spare no effort to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, as well as respect for all internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development." The panel will address contemporary governance challenges from multiple dimensions, drawing upon their unique insights and professional experiences in the area of human rights and gender, electoral processes, and anti-corruption, among others.

Biographies

Patrick Merloe is a Senior Associate and directs electoral programs conducted by NDI. He has observed election processes in more than 25 countries and led or participated in over 130 NDI delegations and assistance teams to more than 50 countries around the world. Mr. Merloe's program focus is largely on promoting democratic reform and political development in semi-authoritarian countries and conflict-sensitive states. He has produced numerous publications and is a frequent speaker on democracy promotion, elections, human rights and international law.

The following are among the program areas for which Mr. Merloe is responsible: Constitutional and law reform projects regarding electoral issues, including civil and political rights; Programs promoting political dialogue and mitigating conflict in the electoral context;Programs concerning domestic nongovernmental organizations and political parties in election monitoring and promotion of electoral integrity; and International election assessments and election observer delegations.

Mr. Merloe's work in Washington and overseas includes programs in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. He has produced a dozen publications on international human rights, comparative law and standards for election processes. He is frequently invited by the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other organizations to advise on electoral matters and is one of the leaders of a multi-organizational effort to agree on a Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation. In approximately the last year, he as spoken on a broad range of topics concerning democracy promotion at: the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; the Geneva Center for Security Policy; the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe; the European Commission; the Council on Foreign Relations; Johns Hopkins University; Yale University School of Law; the American University Washington College of Law; and Tulane University School of Law.

Prior to joining NDI in 1993, Mr. Merloe was an attorney with Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe in San Francisco and has served as pro bono and special counsel to a number of international human rights organizations. He has taught courses at University of Pennsylvania Law School, the University of San Francisco School of Law and at Temple University. Pat received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, conducted graduate studies in public policy analysis at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, and completed his undergraduate education at Temple University.

Upala Devi is the Coordinator of the UN Task Force on Violence against Women and the UNFPA Technical Advisor on Gender-Based Violence, based at UNFPA's headquarters in New York city. Prior to joining UNFPA, Upala was the Asia-Pacific Regional Coordinator of the UN Inter-Agency Lessons Learned Project on the Human Rights-Based Approach to Development (between 2004-2007), based in UNESCO's Asia-Pacific Bangkok Regional Office. Between 1998-2003, Upala worked for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) as Coordinator of the Child Development Fund and Governance Support Fund, stationed in New Delhi. She has also worked variously for UNDP, UNICEF, UNIFEM, ILO, OHCHR, the Ford Foundation, NORAD, Save the Children Fund (UK and Sweden), Christian Aid UK, etc, in various countries in the global south as well as in the United States.

Ms. Devi holds an M.Phil in South-East Asia and South-West Pacific Studies from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She was a CV Starr Fellow in a Masters Programme in International Policy and Practice (MIPP) at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, Washington DC. She has held various visiting scholar fellowships at: the School for International Training (SIT), Brattleboro, Vermont, 2000; at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, UK, 2002; at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), Washington D.C., 2002; and, at the Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society, City University of New York, 2004. She has spoken and contributed extensively to various books and journals and has written a number of policy papers on gender and child rights issues and on technical areas related to human rights and development.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Mr. King graduated the United States Naval Academy and served in the United States Navy for six years at sea and as an instructor at the Naval Academy in the areas of leadership and ethics. After serving in the armed forces, Mr. King took a sabbatical to hike the 2,160 mile Appalachian Trail before embarking on a career in organizational development consulting.

Mr. King has worked with consulting teams and as the principal in a consulting firm in the areas of energy, communications and national defense. As a team member in one large scale engagement, the client achieved a new industry benchmark for bringing offshore natural gas to the global market generating $1.7 billion in value for the client.

In Iraq (2004-2006), Mr. King was the Department of State, Iraq Reconstruction Management Office (IRMO) Senior Consultant to the Commission on Public Integrity (CPI). Mr. King led a team of consultants working with CPI in areas of anti-corruption law enforcement, corruption prevention, ethics, transparency, education, human rights, and legislative reform. During this time he worked extensively with US government agencies, multinational organizations, NGOs, the Iraqi and other governments. As principle advisor to an Iraqi-led development effort, $10 million dollars were leveraged to build a 1,500 employee Iraqi organization which uncovered $18 billion in corruption as well as the historic arrests of several minister-level officials.

Since returning from Iraq in August 2006, Mr. King has been a partner in a small consulting firm working with governments, corporations and non-profits on capacity development and policy changes in the areas of leadership development, organizational change, anti-corruption, and refugees. He has authored House and Senate testimony and lecturer in the areas of organizational change, development and reform. During his career Mr. King has also provided extensive pro bono consulting and executive coaching for a variety of non-profits and individuals.