"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.