Ai Kihara-Hunt (Japan) was appointed as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2026 and assumed her mandate on 1 May 2026. She is an international lawyer with over 25 years of professional experience, specializing in international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and the law of peace operations. She holds a PhD in Law from the University of Essex. Her background in human rights protection and promotion, transitional justice and accountability includes service with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UN peacekeeping operations.