Philip Cook holds a Ph.D. in Cross-Cultural Psychology from Queen’s University, and was the founder of the International Institute for Child Rights and Development (IICRD). He served as Executive Director from 1994 until November 2018. Now he is happy to have handed this role to new E.D. Vanessa Currie and also to remain an IICRD Senior Advisor and an Associate for project work.
Since 1994, Dr. Cook has overseen IICRD's growth as a leader in linking children’s rights and child protection and healthy development to broad issues of human development and participatory governance across diverse cultures and situational contexts. During this time, the Institute has been working in partnership with a cross-section of UN agencies, governments, and international non-governmental organizations, and children’s organizations. These partnerships have resulted in: child protection systems strengthening policy and program design, expertise in formal-non-formal child protection systems, community-based research initiatives, and participatory protection projects with marginalized children, youth and their communities on various issues including: children affected by violence; conflict and natural disaster; child victims of trafficking; children affected by HIV/AIDS; support for Indigenous children; child protection monitoring and evaluation; intergenerational programs; and, child protection in the context of social protection. Philip has published and taught extensively including as a senior advisor to a number of national governments, UN Agencies, regional organizations, international non-governmental organizations and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. He also practiced child rights as a father of three children.
