Mr. Pinheiro is a visiting professor of international relations at Watson Institute of International Studies, Brown University, and a research associate at the Center for the Study of Violence, University of Sao Paulo, which he founded in 1987 and was director of until 2001. He is a Professor (retired) of Political Science at the University of São Paulo, USP, Brazil. He has also taught at Columbia University, Notre Dame University, Oxford and the École des hautes etudes en sciences sociales, Paris. He has published many articles, essays and books on social history, democracy, violence, and human rights.

In the UN, Mr. Pinheiro holds the position of Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar. He is also a member of the Sub-Commission for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights.

During the last twenty years Mr. Pinheiro has been involved in many civil society organizations. He is a member of the Justice and Peace Commission of São Paulo (founded by Cardinal Arns) and of the Teotonio Villela Commission on Human Rights (São Paulo). He is a member of the board of the São Paulo Institute against Violence, Brazil and the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, COHRE, Switzerland and of the advisory councils of the Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales, CELS, Buenos Aires and Realizing Rights, Ethical Global Initiative, EGI, New York.

Mr. Pinheiro served as Secretary of State for Human Rights, under President Cardoso, Brazil, as Special Counsel to the Governor of São Paulo State, Brazil, and as Rapporteur of the Brazilian National Human Rights Plan.

Mr. Pinheiro is married to Ana Luiza and has three children, Daniela, Andre, and Marina. He divides his time between Geneva and Saõ Paulo.

Independent Expert activities