Shortlist of candidates for UN Working Group member from Western Europe, North America & Australia
"Report of the Consultative Group to the President of the Human Rights Council relating to the vacancies of special procedures mandate holders to beappointed at the thirty-second session of the Human Rights Council"
There were 20 eligible candidates for this vacancy. The Consultative Group interviewed sixshortlisted candidates and decided to recommend the following three candidates as best qualified tofulfil the mandate, ranking them in the order of preference below.
1.Ms. Anita RAMASASTRY (United States of America)
2.Ms. Vanessa ZIMMERMAN (Australia)
3.Ms. Justine NOLAN (Australia)
Ms. Ramasastry is a Professor of Law and the Director of the Graduate Program in Sustainable International Development at the University of Washington School of Law in the United States of America. She is a research fellow at the Institute for Human Rights and Business, a registered charity in London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Her experience includes senior advisory roles as an expert in the field of business and human rights with the United States Department of Commerce, participating in international and regional human rights fora, such as the first United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, and advising civil society organizations on the implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.She is a founding editor-in-chief of the Business and Human Rights Journal. The Consultative Group noted her extensive experience in the area of the mandate, including her stated ability to build bridges across different positions.
Ms. Zimmerman is an international human rights lawyer and works as the Group Human Rights Advisor at Rio Tinto, a multinational metals and mining corporation, where she leads the implementation of their human rights approach at a global level. She clarified that if appointed she would be willing to resign from her current function. She chairs the Human Rights Leadership Group of the Global Compact Network Australia, a business-led network which aims to advance corporate sustainability and the private sector’s contribution to sustainable development. She worked as a Legal Advisor to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, and assisted in the drafting of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Consultative Group noted her clear vision on the mandate, aiming to make progress in measurable and deliverable areas.
Ms. Nolan is an Associate Professor of Law and the Deputy Director of the Australia Human Rights Centre at the University of New South Wales, Australia, where she teaches business and human rights, and international human rights law. She was the Business and Human Rights Director at Human Rights First, a non-governmental organization based in New York, United States of America, where she helped establish the Fair Labor Association, a multi-stakeholder initiative to promote and protect workers’ rights. She is the co-editor of a textbook entitled Business and Human Rights: From Principles to Practice. The Consultative Group noted Ms. Nolan’s diverse experience and interest in strengthening the dialogue and coordination among various stakeholders in the field.