The Asia and the Pacific Regional Seminar on the Contribution of Development to : Full Schedule

Seminars based on Human Rights Council resolution 47/11

10:00am GMT+07

Opening remarks

Moderators

Ayuush Bat-Erdene

Chief of the Right to Development Section, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Ayuush Bat-Erdene is the Chief of the Right to Development Section at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in Geneva, Switzerland. He joined the UN/OHCHR in 1994 and undertook progressively responsible assignments varying from thematic to country... Read More →

Speakers

H.E. Ambassador Václav Bálek

President of the Human Rights Council

Ambassador Václav Bálek has been the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva since August 2021. On 9 December 2022, Mr. Bálek was elected president of the Human Rights Council for 2023.Mr. Bálek... Read More →

Nada Al-Nashif

OHCHR, Deputy High Commissioner

Nada Al-Nashif was appointed United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights on 6 December 2019, assuming the position in 10 February 2020. She brings to the role close to 30 years of experience within the United Nations system around the world. As an economist and development... Read More →

Li Junhua

Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Mr. Li Junhua of China as the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs effective 25 July 2022.Prior to his appointment, Mr. Li was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Italy and San... Read More →

Eksiri Pintaruchi

Director-General, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand

Monday February 13, 2023 10:00am - 10:30am GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Opening Session

10:30am GMT+07

Keynote panel: Reflections on the contribution of development to the enjoyment of human rights

This session will examine how and what development policies and strategies can be used to direct economies towards contributing to all human rights for all including through innovation and investment. It will also consider what can be done to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights in the process.

Moderators

Nada Al-Nashif

OHCHR, Deputy High Commissioner

Speakers

Jomo Kwame Sundaram

Senior Adviser, Khazanah Research Institute

Jomo Kwame Sundaram is Senior Adviser, Khazanah Research Institute, Fellow, Academy of Science, Malaysia, Emeritus Professor, University of Malaya, and Fellow, Initiative for Policy Dialogue, Columbia University. He was UN Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development, Assistant... Read More →

Chee Yoke Ling

Executive Director, Third World Network

Ms Chee Yoke Ling is an international lawyer whose areas of expertise include the environmental, social and economic impacts of globalization, especially in countries of the South. Since 1993 she has worked closely with key negotiators from the global South, scientists and NGOs to... Read More →

Wang Xigen

Dean, School of Law, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Xigen Wang, Dean of the Law School of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Director of the National Human Rights Education and Training Base at HUST. He has been selected as a “Cheung Kong Scholar Distinguished Professor”, a National Leading Talent in Philosophy... Read More →

Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya

Member, United Nations Committee for Development Policy (UN-CDP), Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, a macroeconomist and public policy analyst, is a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) – a globally reputed think-tank in Bangladesh, where he had been its first Executive Director. Earlier, he was a Senior Research Fellow at Bangladesh... Read More →

Simona Marinescu

United Nations Resident Coordinator covering Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, and Tokelau

As the UN Resident Coordinator heading a UN Multi-Country Office that serves the Cook Islands, Niue Samoa, and Tokelau, Ms Simona Marinescu leads a UN Country Team of 15 UN agencies, some with a physical presence in Samoa and others operating from MCO Fiji.Ms Marinescu has over 20... Read More →

Monday February 13, 2023 10:30am - 11:30am GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Keynote Panel

11:30am GMT+07

General Discussion

Moderators

Ayuush Bat-Erdene

Chief of the Right to Development Section, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Monday February 13, 2023 11:30am - 1:00pm GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

General Discussion

1:00pm GMT+07

Lunch Break

Monday February 13, 2023 1:00pm - 3:00pm GMT+07

Lunch Break

3:00pm GMT+07

The essential role of international cooperation for sustainable development in promoting and protecting human rights

The focus will be on the importance of partnership and collaboration among local, national and international partners and stakeholders in order to bring about sustainable improvements of life for people everywhere.

Moderators

Diego Valadares Vasconcelos Neto

Secretariat, OHCHR

Speakers

Achsanul Habib

Director, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Indonesia

Mr. Achsanul Habib is the Acting Director for International Security and Disarmament at the Directorate General for Multilateral Cooperation. At the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Habib is also serving as the Director for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. Previously... Read More →

Emeline Siale Ilolahia

Executive Director, Pacific Islands Association of Non-Government Organizations (PIANGO)

Ms. Ilolahia’s appointment signaled a new dawn as she comes with more than 10 years of experience and a track record in promoting sustainable growth and social development in the region and a reputation for developing strong partnerships within the civil society sector andexposure... Read More →

Zamir Akram

Chair-Rapporteur, Human Rights Council Working Group on the Right to Development

In 2015, Ambassador Akram was elected as Chair-Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council Working Group on the Right to Development.The task of the Chair-Rapporteur includes chairing of the annual session, formal and informal consultation with political and regional groups, Member States... Read More →

Diane Desierto

Professor of Law and Global Affairs at Keough School of Global Affairs and the Law School, University of Notre Dame

Diane A. Desierto joined the Law School in January 2021 as Professor of Law and LL.M. Faculty Director, with a joint appointment at the Keough School of Global Affairs. Desierto teaches, publishes, and practices in the areas of international law and human rights, international economic... Read More →

Monday February 13, 2023 3:00pm - 3:45pm GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Panel

3:45pm GMT+07

Interactive Dialogue

Monday February 13, 2023 3:45pm - 4:30pm GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Interactive Dialogue

4:30pm GMT+07

The commitment to ending poverty in all its forms and dimensions

This session will discuss challenges, gaps, good practices and experiences in ending poverty in all its forms everywhere (SDG1) and their contribution to the enjoyment of all human rights.

Moderators

Markus Ruck

Senior Social Protection Specialist, International Labour Organization

Markus RUCK is Specialist on Social Protection. He holds a Masters Degree in Socio-economics from the Friedrich-Alexander University, ErlangenNuremberg, Germany. Before joining the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific, based in Bangkok... Read More →

Speakers

Liu Chen

Director, School of English and International Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University

Professor, and the director of School of English and International Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University; A founding member of China’s Culture Lab Foundation, and head of Beijing Center for Diversity and Inclusion.Research focuses: economic opportunity, political participation, health and education access in achieving all human rights.Received MPA from Harvard Kennedy School (E. Mason Fellow), PhD in political science from Peking University, and... Read More →

Lenen Rahaman

Mati Bangladesh

Civil Engineer, studyed in University of Mainz, Germany, specialized in Environmental Engineering. Founder of NGO Mati, Founder of the organisation Mati e.V Germany, speak German, Bangla, Hindi, Urdu and English language, skills of coordination of organisation, mentoring, physiological... Read More →

Jalal Uddin

Mati Bangladesh

Priya Lukka

Economist of the Surge Project, OHCHR

Priya Lukka is an Economist in the OHCHR South East Asia Regional Office and is attached to the Surge Initiative. She has worked for over 25 years in the non-profit and international development sector working with government policymakers, activists and philanthropists to improve... Read More →

Vani Catanasiga

Executive Director, Fiji Council of Social Services

Vani Catanasiga is the first female executive director of the Fiji Council of Social Services. FCOSS is a national CSO platform that was established in the 1960s to represent CSO voices to government on social development issues.Vani has 18 years of combined experience in volunteer... Read More →

Monday February 13, 2023 4:30pm - 5:15pm GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Panel

5:15pm GMT+07

Interactive Dialogue

Monday February 13, 2023 5:15pm - 6:00pm GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Interactive Dialogue

10:00am GMT+07

The contribution of the development of clean and sustainable technology to the enjoyment of all human rights

Moderators

Katinka Weinberger

Chief of Environment and Development Policy Section, ESCAP

Katinka Weinberger is the Chief of Environment and Development Policy Section (EDPS) in UNESCAP. As Chief of EDPS, she is responsible for planning, coordinating, directing, and implementing ESCAP’s work program in the area of environment, especially on climate change, water and... Read More →

Speakers

Ian Fry

UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change

Mr. Ian Fry is an international environmental law and policy expert. His focus has primarily focussed on mitigation policies and loss and damage associated the Paris Agreement, Kyoto Protocol and related instruments.Mr. Fry worked for the Tuvalu government for over 21 years and was... Read More →

Bhumika Muchhala

Development Economist, Third World Network and former expert consultant on macroeconomics and human rights for Right to Development, OHCHR

Bhumika Muchhala is a development and political economist and senior policy advisor at the Third World Network. She has 20 years of experience in analysis, advocacy, campaigning and public education on the international financial system, sustainable development, feminist economics... Read More →

Frode Mauring

United Nations Resident Coordinator for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Mr Frode Mauring has twelve years of experience as Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia, Kosovo, the Russian Federation, and the United Arab Emirates. Mauring has also served more than four years as the Special Representative of the UNDP Administrator for the Programme of Assistance... Read More →

Elizabeth Dolan

Research Associate, Innovation and Practice Division, Pulte Institute for Global Development

Elizabeth Dolan is a Research Associate at the Pulte Institute for Global Development and is leading the formation of the Sustainability and Society Partnership at the Institute, which channels expertise at the University of Notre Dame toward confronting global challenges on natural... Read More →

Chen Chiu-Hao (Ted)

Co-founder and CEO, Evercomm Singapore

Ted is the Co-founder and CEO of Evercomm Singapore – “one of Asia Pacific’s fastest growing Sustainability AI companies in the cleantech sector.”Evercomm is an Enterprise Singapore Scale-up Company and also accredited by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).The... Read More →

Tuesday February 14, 2023 10:00am - 10:45am GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Panel

10:45am GMT+07

Interactive Dialogue

Tuesday February 14, 2023 10:45am - 11:30am GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Interactive Dialogue

11:30am GMT+07

Contribution of development and human rights to the global commitment to leave no one behind

Moderators

Nicholas Booth

Policy Advisor for Governance, Human Rights and Access to Justice, UNDP

Speakers

Paul Hunt

Chief Commissioner, New Zealand Human Rights Commission

A national of Aotearoa and UK, Paul Hunt studied law at Cambridge University and Waikato University.He has lived, and undertaken human rights work, in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Aotearoa.For more than a decade, Paul served as an independent human rights expert for the United... Read More →

Gerel Dondovdorj

Member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Ms. Gerel Dondovdorj, from Mongolia, works for the Mongolian National Federation of the Blind as the president. She lost her sight while studying at the university. But she continued her studies and graduated from the Law School of the Mongolian National University as a lawyer. She... Read More →

Matthew Johnson-Idan

Senior Economist UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, Lao People's Democratic Republic

Matthew Johnson-Idan is the Senior Economist in the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Lao PDR. His work supports the UN Country Team in implementing new and more integrated ways of working in line with the reform of the UN development system. He works on national planning, financing... Read More →

Navanita Sinha

Head of Office, UN Women, Nepal

Navanita Sinha is the Head of Office (ai), UN Women Nepal Country Office. She has over fifteen years of experience of working on issues of women’s rights and gender equality across the Asia-Pacific region. She has extensive experience in strategy development and policy advice; results-based... Read More →

Chandra Tripura

Executive Council member, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)

Chandra Tripura is a young enthusiastic human rights activist and social entrepreneur from the Tripura Indigenous Community of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh. She has completed her Master in Sociology and Social Policy from Dhaka University. Ms. Tripura is a professional... Read More →

Tuesday February 14, 2023 11:30am - 12:15pm GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Panel

12:15pm GMT+07

Interactive Dialogue

Tuesday February 14, 2023 12:15pm - 1:00pm GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Interactive Dialogue

1:00pm GMT+07

Lunch Break

Tuesday February 14, 2023 1:00pm - 3:00pm GMT+07

Lunch Break

3:00pm GMT+07

The contribution of regional development strategies to the enjoyment of all human rights

Moderators

Rineeta Naik

Human Rights and Development Focal Point, OHCHR Regional Office in Southeast Asia

Rineeta Naik is Human Rights and Development lead at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Southeast Asia Regional Office. She began her career as a journalist with the Indian Express in Mumbai, India. This was followed by a 10-year stint at the South Asia... Read More →

Speakers

Filimon Manoni

Deputy Secretary General, Pacific Islands Forum

Dr Manoni is the Deputy Secretary General of PIF since 2020. He has held the position of International Legal Adviser since the latter part of 2018 – and has been responsible for providing legal policy advice and analysis on regional issues covered by the Secretariat.Prior to joining... Read More →

Heike Alefsen

Regional Representative for the Pacific, OHCHR

Heike Alefsen has 30 years of human rights, legal, political and development work experience with the United Nations, the Council of Europe and civil society. As OHCHR Pacific Regional Representative since October 2020, she heads a Regional Office based in Suva, Fiji, covering... Read More →

Jonathan Gilman

Regional Development Coordination Officer United Nations Environment Programme, Asia and the Pacific Office

Jonathan Gilman, a British national, is Regional Development Coordinator for the United Nations Environment Programme’s Asia Pacific Office based in Bangkok. Jonathan has worked with the UN for 19 years. He has worked at the HQs level with UNDP’s Bureau for Development Policy... Read More →

Yuyun Wahyuningrum

Representative of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights

Yuyun is currently the Representative of Indonesia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), 2019-2021. She obtained her MA on Human Rights from Mahidol University, Thailand (2007) and now finalising PhD at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS... Read More →

Nadia Mohd Rasidi

Communications Officer, International Women’s Rights Action Watch-Asia Pacific (IWRAW-AP)

Nadia has a PhD in American Studies from King’s College London where her academic interests centered on race and popular culture in a contemporary context. Prior to joining IWRAW Asia Pacific, she worked as an independent rapporteur and researcher and collaborated with local and... Read More →

Tuesday February 14, 2023 3:00pm - 3:45pm GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Panel

3:45pm GMT+07

Interactive Dialogue

Tuesday February 14, 2023 3:45pm - 4:30pm GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Interactive Dialogue

4:30pm GMT+07

Good practices and experiences in addressing challenges and gaps and ensuring the contribution of development to the enjoyment of all human rights

Moderators

Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn

Chulalongkorn University; UN Special Rapporteur

Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn was appointed as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia in March 2021. Professor Vitit is a Thai law Professor with longstanding experience working pro bono for the UN on human rights. He has helped the UN in a variety of positions... Read More →

Speakers

Panel

5:45pm GMT+07

Closing Remarks

Speakers

Ayuush Bat-Erdene

Chief of the Right to Development Section, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Tuesday February 14, 2023 5:45pm - 6:00pm GMT+07
Conference Room 4, ESCAP

Closing Remarks