Benedetto Saraceno (Genoa, 1948) is a neurologist and psychiatrist trained at the school of Franco Basaglia. Between 1996 and 2010 he worked for the World Health Organization. He has been director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (1999-2010), and director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases (2007-2009), as well as being responsible for the Nation for Mental Health project. During this stage he dealt with the mental health policy and promotion of human rights in different countries of the world. He is currently Professor of Global Health and Mental Health Policies at the University of Lisbon, and directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Mental Health at the University of Geneva. He has published a dozen books and more than a hundred articles in scientific journals. His field of work specializes in social psychology, epidemiology and public health, with special emphasis on the issue of human rights.