United States

Martín Abregú

Director New York

Martín Abregú is Ford’s director of Human Rights and Governance. Working with program officers in New York and in nine regional offices around the world, his team focuses on advancing economic and social rights, promoting transparent, effective and accountable government, reforming global financial governance and strengthening human rights worldwide. Through these initiatives, his grant making is developing the next generation of human rights advocates, fostering civil society organizations, using innovative approaches to monitor government performance, bringing new voices with fresh ideas from the global South, and building bridges between the fields of human rights and governance.

Martín joined the Ford Foundation in 2000, serving as program officer for human rights in the Santiago office, before being appointed representative for the Andean Region and Southern Cone in 2007. He was named director in 2010.

Previously, he was the executive director of the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), a leading human rights organization in Argentina, where he was in charge of reshaping the organization to address new challenges and prepare for its first generational turnover. He was also an associate professor of human rights at the University of Buenos Aires School of Law.

Martín has a law degree from the University of Buenos Aires School of Law and a Master of Law degree in international legal studies from American University

Issues and Initiatives

Martín Abregú manages the strategy, foundationwide for the following initiatives:

Issue	Initiative
Human Rights	Strengthening Human Rights Worldwide Advancing Economic and Social Rights
Democratic and Accountable Government	Promoting Transparent, Effective and Accountable Government Reforming Global Financial Governance