Jean Paul Mugiraneza is the Senior Special Advisor to the President for Peacebuilding and Programme Development. With over 18 years of experience in public service, governance, and peacebuilding across the Great Lakes region, West Africa, and Europe, he brings deep expertise in institutional development and post-conflict recovery. Formerly Regional Director for Interpeace in Eastern and Central Africa, he led strategic program oversight across Somalia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC. A native of Rwanda, Jean Paul holds a Bachelor of Law from the National University of Rwanda and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Quebec. Following the Genocide against the Tutsi, he played a key role in rebuilding decentralized governance systems. He has served as Executive Secretary of Rwanda’s National Decentralization Secretariat, chaired the Political Commission in Kigali City Council, and sat on the National AIDS Commission board. He has also lectured in Social and Constitutional Law.