Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro

Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro (born 8 January 1944) is a Brazilian legal scholar known for his work within the United Nations System as a Human Rights expert.

Career Pinheiro was born in Rio de Janeiro. He has a long career in academia, having held academic positions at the University of São Paulo, among others. In 2003, Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Pinheiro as an independent expert, with the rank of Assistant Secretary-General, to prepare an in-depth study into the global phenomenon of violence against children, with special responsibility for the rights of children Domestically, he served as federal Secretary of State for Human Rights under President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. In August 2025, the Commission released a devastating report concluding that war crimes were likely committed by both interim government forces and loyalists to Syria's former regime during the March coastal violence.