About

30 years of experience in: - developing strategic planning documents for strengthening the rule of law; - designing and implementing technical cooperation programs that support national authorities and civil society organisations; - designing and implementing capacity building programs, drawing on case studies and self-learning; - providing legal advice on matters relating to human rights, humanitarian law and rule of law standards; - investigating of of serious violations of international law; - designing and implementing monitoring, analysis and reporting mechanisms that provide timely information and relevant analysis; - communicating clearly by summarising complex information for decision-makers and contributing to institutional positioning.

Skills

  • Analysing
    9
  • Legal advice
    9
  • Communicating for Impact
    8
  • Planning
    8
  • English
    8
  • French
    10

Experience

Frédéric Gouin

Work experience

Frédéric Gouin

Work experience
  • To decide independently and impartially on the conditional release of persons incarcerated in a provincial detention facility. To contribute to the protection of society while promoting the safe and gradual reintegra-tion of offenders. Assess the offender's case based on the following ele-ments: the risk he or she poses to the protection of society; his or her abil-ity to reintegrate into society; consistency with court decisions; protection of the victim and the representations he or she makes to the Board; equal rights and procedural fairness; consistency with the various measures put forward by criminal justice stakeholders; and transparency and integ-rity.

Frédéric Gouin

Work experience
  • The Human Rights Council established a fact-finding mission to investi-gate alle¬gations of serious violations committed by the "Islamic State in Iraq and the Le¬vant." As legal advisor to this mission, I provided advice on the legal elements required of the violations under investigation, including issues related to the standard of proof. I analysed relevant documenta-tion and information to identify trends and key areas of concern for the investigation teams. I regularly re¬viewed and analysed the information collected by team members, including from witnesses and victims, civil society, and authorities, identified gaps, and provided guidance accord-ingly. I ensured that the information collected was consistent with the required legal elements. I contributed to the establishment of the investi-gation plan and the regular monitoring of its implementation. I en¬sured that mission activities were conducted in accordance with relevant stan-dards and working methods, including the protection of information. I as-sisted the investigators in interviewing over 100 people in 6 weeks to as-sess vi¬olations and determine the credibility and reliability of the inter-viewees. I was the lead writer of the 8,500-word report submitted to the Human Rights Council. I met with the authorities to explain the mission, the preliminary results and to assess acceptability.

Frédéric Gouin

Work experience
  • October, 2012 - October, 2019
  • Fulltime
  • I have served in various capacities with the United Nations mission in Haiti dur¬ing periods of turmoil, including elections, political violence, natural disasters, and a general deterioration of the social situation. I led the Po-lice and Justice Support Unit, which was responsible for the investiga-tions of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Haiti. I led my team in conducting some 20 investigations into allegations of serious human rights violations against po¬lice personnel. I coordinated two sys-temic investigations, one that highlighted the widespread practice of ille-gal and arbitrary arrests and another that dem¬on¬strated the inadequate prosecution of sexual and gender-based vio¬lence. I contributed to the development and implementation of the Mission's strategies related to rule of law, justice, and penitentiary reform, particularly in advising na-tional counterparts, facilitating training, mapping, and evaluating systems, and assisting in the development of long-term national strategic plans. I provi¬ded a series of strategic inputs for the closure of the Mission and its tran¬sition to a new mission, including briefing the Security Council. I was the main drafter of the Mission's political strategy, proposing clear priori-ties to be achieved in relation to the exit strategy. I coordinated the pro-duction of public and internal reports for the Office of the High Commis-sioner for Human Rights in Haiti. I am the principal author of two public reports on the police and judicial response to sexual and gender-based violence, one public report on lynching, and three public reports on the general human rights situation in the country. I coordi¬na¬ted the Mission's contributions to the Secretary-General's reports to the Security Council. I coordinated support to 8 regional offices. I coordinated the monitoring and analysis unit, where I systematized the collection and pro¬cessing of information and developed mechanisms for monitoring social net¬works, which led to efficiency gains. I helped build the team's capacity on dis-crimination against LGBTQ+ groups. I developed training modules on rule of law issues. I provided legal advice to colleagues and national coun-terparts on a wide range of human rights issues to design optimal support mechanisms. For example, I have shown that judicial independence, pre-trial detention, and prison overcrowding are interrelated issues that con-tribute to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment in detention. I provid-ed numerous comments on draft laws submitted to Parliament to help improve them to better meet the country's international obligations, in-cluding the draft penal code, the draft code of crimi¬nal procedure, the draft law on legal aid and the draft law on violence against women. I pro-vided legal advice to the UN Police Commissioner on the police in¬tegrity vetting process, firearms and ammunition control, and the issue of anti-gang operations by the national police. I coordinated the review of the human rights due diligence policy, highlighting systemic human rights violations by the police for which the Mission should adopt mitigating measures. I researched and prepared analytical notes and recommen-dations on rule of law issues re¬lated to sexual and gender-based vio-lence, ensuring greater participation of women in the political process, arbitrary arrests, freedom of movement, defa¬mation, extraditions, use of force, prosecutorial powers, banning an LGBTQ+ festival, curfews, forced evictions, etc.

Frédéric Gouin

Work experience
  • Chief of staff to the President at   Quebec Bar
  • Point of contact with the President of the Bar for various governmental and non-governmental interlocutors. Prepares and coordinates the President's par¬ticipation in various events. Prepares and evaluates legal advice and recom¬mendations on access to justice, parliamentary ethics, fundamental safe¬guards, judicial process. Commenting on and approving letters, positions, and advice, particularly on the rule of law and funda-mental human rights. Coordinat¬ing the appointment process to over 80 statutory and advisory committees of the Bar and ensuring that these appointments reflect the diversity of the legal profession. Participated in the establishment of a public complaints’ mecha¬nism. Coordinated and structured the Bar's honours process. Assisted in the development of a strategic work plan. Prepared work plans, meeting schedules for the use of the President with governmental and non-governmental interlocu¬tors. Participation in the various decision-making bodies of the Bar, facilitating contacts between the President and his constituents. Writing ten editori-als in the Journal du Barreau and more than 100 speeches for the Presi-dent.

Frédéric Gouin

Work experience
  • Technical cooperation with States in the adoption of national measures to implement international law and participation to treaties. Contributed to the establishment of national commissions on human rights and humanitarian law. Established a research group in consultation with national authorities to analyse national legislation on the Rome Statute, the obligation to prosecute war criminals and the obligation to protect the red cross and red crescent emblems. I commented on draft legislation and provided legal advice to legislative and executive authorities. Coordinated the organisation of two international conferences on Islam and humanitarian law. Supported the Ministries of Education, Higher Education and De-fence in the development of curricula for the teaching of humanitarian law and values. Strengthening the capacity of training of trainers’ centres to develop new training programmes. Developed a training of trainers’ programme for primary and secondary school teachers, police officers and armed forces officers. Strengthened Red Crescent Societies by training their staff. Supported various ministries in implementation and training. Promote democratic governance, judicial guarantees, and minimum standards applicable in situations of armed conflict to national authorities (parliamentarians, government, civil servants, judges, police, armed forces, media, universities, schools) and international organisations. Developing curricula, organising and delivering basic and advanced courses on human rights, humanitarian law and judicial guarantees. Organised dialogues on humanitarian law with religious leaders. Develop the capacity of civil society organisations to promote and defend these rights and values. Training of colleagues to investigate the respect of judicial guarantees for persons deprived of their liberty. Legal advice on headquarters agreements, status of persons deprived of their liberty, contracts, labour relations, etc. Advising delegations on the status of Guantanamo returnees who continue to be deprived of their liberty in their country of origin. Responsible for the programme (budget of approximately USD 3 million) and strategic planning. Responsible for the entire management cycle (results planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the programme). Strategic analysis of the environment and security situation.

Frédéric Gouin

Work experience
  • Consultant on democratic development, governance of the legal profes-sion, rule of law, legal reform and human rights. I was the leader of a technical coop¬eration team for a 3-year Mexico / Canada project to de-velop a governance system for the legal profession. Drafted the project proposal. Creation of a working group. Adoption of the basic principles for the implementation of a sanctions’ mechanism. Consultations with the executive, legislative and judicial branches in the five project provinces. Adoption of principles for a code of con¬duct that would apply to the entire legal profession. Adoption of principles for a professional training system. Adoption of principles for defining the practice of law as a lawyer's act. I have also contributed to capacity building projects: staff training, posi-tioning, research. Trainer in international humanitarian law and human rights. I organised workshops and seminars, developed and facili¬tated websites for human rights NGOs. Provided training on human rights appli-cable in armed conflict as part of the Canadian Red Cross basic training course for personnel deployed abroad.

Frédéric Gouin

Education
  • August, 1993 - November, 1994
  • Fulltime

Frédéric Gouin

Education

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