Erica Harper is a practitioner-academic specializing in international criminal law, human rights law and post-conflict governance. As Head of Research and Policy Studies, she leads the Geneva Academy’s work on non-state actors, transitional justice, digital technologies and sustainable development. She also works closely with various United Nations Special Rapporteur, as an Advisory Board member at Terre des hommes, and is a fellow at the Leiden University’s Van Vollenhoven Institute.

Dr Harper’s current research centres around development effectiveness, and the intersectionality between economic development, security and the rule of law. She manages a multi-country research project examining best practices in the reintegration of former foreign fighters and building resilience against violent extremism in children and youth.

Dr Harper has extensive programming and policy experience, having worked for a variety of UN agencies and non-government organizations in Timor Leste, Indonesia, the Philippines, Jordan, Ethiopia and Somalia. Prior to joining the Geneva Academy, Dr Harper established and served as the Executive Director of the West Asia-North Africa Institute, a Jordan-based policy think tank specializing in security studies, economic policy and good governance. During her 5-year tenure, the Institute grew to become one of the region’s leading think tanks, producing approximately 70 publications annually, including academic journal pieces, policy white papers, books and print media pieces. She also served as an Assistant Professor at Leiden University’s Van Vollenhoven Institute, teaching on aid effectiveness, human rights programming and non-state justice systems.

Dr Harper holds a Bachelor of Laws (hons) and Bachelor of Commerce in Economics, both from Macquarie University, and a PhD in International Law from the University of Melbourne. She has authored five books, including on aid effectiveness, non-state justice and rule of law programming, as well as four edited volumes on the subjects of legal pluralism, governance and development in the Middle East and North Africa. Her latest book, The Last 10 Percent: Why the world needs a leaner, more innovative and pragmatic development sector, today will be released in fall 2022.