Ryota Jonen

Location: Washington, DC, USA

Ryota Jonen (he/him) is a coalition builder with over 25 years of experience strengthening democracy, governance, and human rights globally. As a Senior Fellow at R4D’s Governance Action Hub, he focuses on nurturing a global community of emerging leaders committed to advancing accountable and inclusive governance.

Previously, Ryota led the World Movement for Democracy, where he mobilized a broad network of civil society organizations, political actors, and reformers to advocate for democratic institutions and protect civic space. He has designed and led international advocacy campaigns on issues ranging from political prisoners to solidarity with democracy movements, while fostering collaboration across sectors and borders.

Ryota also launched the Hurford Youth Fellowship program at the World Movement for Democracy, helping to nurture emerging democracy leaders around the world. Today, alumni of the program serve in leadership roles across government and civil society, championing transparent and responsive governance.

His contributions include co-founding the Community of Democracies Working Group on Enabling and Protecting Civil Society and helping establish the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association. He was instrumental in supporting efforts to ratify the African Union’s Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and co-authored the Defending Civil Society report, which helped catalyze international mechanisms to safeguard civic space.