Mary Wareham

Mary Wareham is the deputy director of the Crisis, Conflict and Arms Division at Human Rights Watch, where she manages the division’s Arms Program. From 2012 to 2024, she served as the advocacy director of the former Arms Division at Human Rights Watch, working to advance humanitarian disarmament and enhance protections for civilians from various weapons. Mary coordinated the  Stop Killer Robots campaign from its inception in 2012 until March 2021.

As the advocacy director for Oxfam New Zealand from 2006 to 2008, she contributed to the adoption of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. Mary served as the senior advocate for the Arms Division at Human Rights Watch from 1998 to 2006, establishing and coordinating the Landmine Monitor research initiative to verify implementation of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty.

She worked for the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation from 1996 to 1997, assisting Jody Williams in coordinating the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize together with Williams. Wareham worked as a researcher for the New Zealand parliament from 1995 to 1996 after receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Victoria University of Wellington.