Since 2019, Martín Abregú has served as the Vice President for International Programs at the Ford Foundation. Previously, from 2013-2019, he also served as the Vice President for its Democracy, Rights and Justice program. Abregú was also Ford’s Director of Human Rights and Governance for three years, working with program officers in New York and in nine regional offices around the world, his team has focused on advancing economic and social rights, promoting transparent, effective and accountable government, reforming global financial governance and strengthening human rights worldwide. Abregú joined the Ford Foundation in 2000, serving as Program Officer for Human Rights in the foundation’s Santiago office. In 2007, he was appointed Ford Foundation representative for the Andean Region and Southern Cone, guiding grant strategy and programs across the region.
Prior to joining Ford, Abregú served for six years as Executive Director of the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), a leading human rights organization based in Argentina, where he led an organizational renewal and guided the institution to address new kinds of human rights challenges. Simultaneously, he served as the Argentina representative for the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), an inter-American human rights body that works across the hemisphere.
Abregú also served as an associate professor of human rights at the University of Buenos Aires School of Law, where he earlier earned his law degree in International Public Law. He also holds a Master of Law degree in International Legal Studies from American University, in Washington, D.C. He is a founding member of the Association of Civil Rights in Argentina, and has been an Ashoka Fellow since 1995.