Ambassador Dr. Namira Negm
Ambassador Dr. Namira Negm joined the Advisory Board of the Nordic Center for Conflict Transformation (NCCT) in October 2025. She is a distinguished diplomat, jurist, and scholar with over three decades of experience in international law, diplomacy, and governance across Africa and the multilateral system.
Dr. Negm currently serves as Director of the African Migration Observatory at the African Union, where she leads continental efforts to strengthen cooperation on migration governance and policy research. She previously served as Legal Counsel of the African Union, the first woman to hold this position, and as Ambassador of Egypt to Rwanda.
Throughout her career, Dr. Negm has represented states and the African Union before leading international courts and forums, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. She led the AU’s legal team in the Chagos Advisory Opinion and in Jordan’s Appeal in the Bashir case, and played a pivotal role in drafting key AU legal instruments, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Treaty establishing the African Medicines Agency.
Her diplomatic career includes postings as Legal Advisor of Egypt’s Mission to the United Nations in New York and the Embassy of Egypt in the Netherlands, as well as leadership roles in counterterrorism, anti-corruption, and international law. Dr. Negm has also negotiated numerous international legal instruments, including AU and UN Conventions and served in numerous UN committees, including as Vice-President of the Assembly of States Parties of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and Vice-Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee on International Terrorism.
She holds a PhD from University of London and LLM in Public International Law from King’s College London, and has pursued advanced studies at The Hague Academy of International Law, George Washington University, and l’Institut International d’Administration Publique in France.
Alongside her diplomatic and legal career, Dr. Negm has contributed to academia as a lecturer in Public International Law and international relations at the American University in Cairo, the University of Kigali, and as a guest professor at the University of Geneva.
A strong advocate of justice and development globally as well as “African solutions to African problems,” Dr. Negm continues to advance legal innovation through initiatives to serve the continent and beyond. Her leadership, expertise, and vision greatly enrich NCCT’s mission to promote peace, justice, and inclusive governance in Africa and beyond.