Business and Human Rights in Asia
Our Team
Regional Team
Livio Sarandrea
Business and Human Rights Global Policy Advisor and Team Leader of B+HR Asia
Livio Sarandrea is a Human Rights lawyer with 20 years of field experience in Southeast Europe, Africa and Asia, Livio has advised and managed programs on Business and Human Rights, in support of National Human Rights Institutions, Access to Justice, Conflict Prevention, Transitional Justice and Security Sector Reform for OSCE, DPKO/OHCHR and UNDP.
Dr. Harpreet Kaur
Business and Human Rights Specialist, Project Manager
Harpreet provides technical and advisory support to governments and businesses on how to mitigate and address human rights risks and impacts in operations and supply chains in Asia. Previously, Harpreet led Genpact Centre for Women’s Leadership at Ashoka University where she steered the Women, Workplace & Rights agenda and designed cutting-edge programs that enabled women to lead with equality and dignity. At the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, Harpreet highlighted corporates’ human rights impacts through her research and writing. In her early years, Harpreet led governance projects in the conflict-ridden Jammu and Kashmir in India using media and communication and supported the track-II diplomacy process. Harpreet serves as a Council Member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Human Rights.
Sean Lees
Business and Human Rights Specialist, Project Manager
Sean Lees is a lawyer and human rights specialist, with a background in trade policy and humanitarian affairs. Prior to his admission to legal practice, Sean worked for the Pacific Basin Economic Council and the East-West Center on Asia-Pacific trade and investment issues. He then expanded his field of interest, working with refugees and displaced populations as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, and then as a programme manager for the International Rescue Committee. Sean joined the United Nations in 2007 where he focused primarily on rule of law programming in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
Phung Thi Thu Ha
Business and Human Rights Specialist, Project Coordinator
Ha has more than nine years of experience in policy analysis, advocacy, government affairs and corporate responsibility. Prior to joining UNDP, Ha worked as a consultant at global and regional business advisory and government relations consulting firms in Vietnam and Singapore. Previously, she was a coordinator for the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) Secretariat, and a program assistant at the World Bank Viet Nam. Ha holds an MA in public management and a BA in international business administration.
Akiko Sato
Liaison Officer
Akiko is Liaison Officer for the Business and Human Rights project funded by the Government of Japan at
UNDP. She has been working on business and human rights over the last 10 years with exceptional experience
in Asia. Before joining UNDP, she worked as a lawyer and provided advice on human rights due diligence for Japanese companies. She also worked on advocacy with the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre and Human Rights Now.
Akiko holds an MA in Development Studies with a major in Human Rights from the International Institute
of Social Studies at Rotterdam’s Erasmus University in The Hague and a JD from Hitotsubashi University.
Kevin Lehmann
Business and Human Rights Analyst
Kevin joined the business and human rights team in August 2019. Before joining UNDP, he advocated for government action on business and human rights as a member of the Dutch section of the International Commission of Jurists, conducted human rights due diligence for a retailer with global supply chains, conducted research on responsible business for a pro-bono legal research project, and worked for an environmental technology start-up. Kevin holds a Master of Laws (LLM) in Globalisation and Law from Maastricht University, a Bachelor of Laws in International Business Law from Leiden University, and studied business administration at Monash University in Australia. He is an avid reader and keeps a close eye on developments pertaining to business and human rights and related topics.
Belinda Hlatshwayo
Project Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
Before joining B+HR Asia Belinda served as Women, Peace and Security Coordinator (UNDP), Researcher for the International Criminal Court Tools, and as a Researcher for the Judicial Services Commission of Zimbabwe. A lawyer by training, she has worked in Africa and Asia on inclusive governance, access to justice, gender-sensitive Results-Based Management and women’s empowerment. She holds a BA in French Language and Literature, a Bachelor of Laws, and a Master of Laws specializing in International Law.
Amy Sellmyer
Communications Consultant
Amy is a creative and strategic communications specialist with more than 10 years of experience living and working in Asia. Prior to joining UNDP, she supported international agencies, NGOs, and private sector clients on development challenges related to climate change, health, and resilience through the development and implementation of communication and digital engagement strategies and the production of targeted knowledge products and communications campaigns.
Warunpon Wongtanyakon
Programme Associate
Warunpon has been working with UNDP for four years. She supported UNDP Thailand as a Project Assistant under the Social Innovation Project, Anti-Corruption and Being LGBTI in Asia programme. She also worked as a Team Assistant with the Transaction Services Team in the Bangkok Regional Hub. Before joining the UN family, she worked at The Embassy of Austria in Thailand. Warunpon holds a master's degree in International Relations and a bachelor's in German language.
Jiahuan (Sheila) YUAN
Business and Human Rights Knowledge Management and Communication Officer
Sheila brings more than five years of dedicated experience in the development sector, with a focus on fostering positive change in various developing countries across Asia.
Sheila embarked on her career journey with a three-year consultancy at UNRCO and UNDP in Cambodia. In this role, she contributed to cross-sectoral programs, conducting qualitative research, fostering private sector engagement, and analysing public policies. Prior to her work in Business and Human Rights, she worked at UNIDO's Investment and Technology Promotion Office, where she facilitated sub-regional coordination. Additionally, she supported Save the Children's mission by spearheading national-level programme communication in Beijing, China.
National Specialists
Mehruna Chowdhury
Business and Human Rights Specialist, Bangladesh
Mehruna has over twelve years of experience in research and policy advocacy in the areas of macroeconomic policy, labour rights and migration, gender and environmental issues. Her PhD thesis is based on social and environmental compliance in the supply chain of the apparel sector of Bangladesh. Mehruna has worked with ILO, BRAC and Centre for Policy Dialogue, one of the leading think-tanks in Bangladesh. She has several publications as book chapters, policy briefs and research reports.
Nusrat Khan
Business and Human Rights Specialist, India
Nusrat is a lawyer by training with a master’s degree in Public International and Human Rights Law. She worked on UNDP’s Access to Justice programme and consulted the Ministry of Law & Justice of India as a Senior Legal Consultant on legal literacy and empowerment initiatives. Nusrat has also worked as a Human Rights Researcher with Amnesty International and a legal trainee with the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Nusrat is interested the translation of human rights research and advocacy into legal frameworks.
Sagita Adesywi
Business and Human Rights Specialist, Indonesia
Sagita has experience working on a wide range of development initiatives including reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS in the workplace and wider communities, children’s rights and business, water and sanitation, and government transparency and accountability. Prior to joining UNDP, she worked with UNAIDS, UNICEF, ChildFund International, the World Bank and USAID. She holds a master’s in Globalization and Development.
Inthavath Douangta
Responsible Business Officer, Lao PDR
Inthavath recently joined UNDP as a Responsible Business Officer, supporting the IMPACT Biz project under the Governance Unit. Before joining UNDP, Inthavath worked as a Communications Consultant for the World Bank and interned in IOM, working on safe migration projects. In his new role, Inthavath will be contributing his knowledge and experience to coordinating fruitful engagement with businesses, governmental agencies and civil society organizations to ensure that issues regarding internal aspects of doing business such as human rights, diversity and inclusion, as well as external aspects such as environmental impacts are highlighted, discussed, and addressed.
Roman Meier
Programme Analyst, Lao PDR
Roman joined the UNDP team in Lao PDR in 2023 as Programme Analyst to support the human rights and rule of law work of the Governance Unit. This includes among other engagements the management of the B+HR project. Before his deployment to Lao PDR, he worked in Colombia for Terre des Hommes on child protection and in Nigeria for the UN Resident Coordinator Office on conflict prevention. He holds a master degree in International Development.
Jehan Wan Aziz
Business and Human Rights Specialist, Malaysia
Jehan Wan Aziz is a public policy and international development practitioner, with a background in public sector reform, project management and human rights protection. Jehan began their career with the Government of Malaysia. They then shifted to project implementation in various thematic areas working with UNDP, IOM and the World Bank. Jehan holds master’s degrees in Public Policy and International Affairs with a specialization in Economic and Political Development in East Asia.
Ariunaa Tumurtogoo
Technical Specialist, Business and Human Rights, Mongolia
Ariunaa has been working in the field of human rights for over 10 years. Previously, she worked as a multilateral cooperation referent at National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia (NHRCM). She engaged with various stakeholders to implement a wide range of human rights projects, including ones covering the right to reproductive and sexual health of herder women, the rights of assistant herders, and the rights to health care. She also contributed to shadow reports by the NHRCM to UN committees, especially UPR and CEDAW, in addition to the annual status report on human rights and freedom in Mongolia. Ariunaa holds a MA in Development Studies from the University of Melbourne.
Tek Tamata
Portfolio Manager, Governance and Rule of Law, Nepal
Tek has been working with UNDP since 2008 as a rule of law and human rights and governance practitioner. He is a lawyer by training and has managed projects in the areas of human rights, rule of law, access to justice and federalism in Nepal. He has extensive experience working with the government, State bodies, parliament, the judiciary, civil society organizations and the private sector in Nepal. He has produced and published numerous articles and studies on human rights, access to justice, and rule of law in Nepal.
Samad Aftab
Research Analyst, Pakistan
Samad works as a Research Analyst in UNDP Pakistan’s Decentralization, Human Rights and Local Governance Project and is the focal point for the project’s Business and Human Rights initiatives. Prior to joining UNDP Pakistan, he worked at Management Systems International Pakistan on several monitoring and evaluation assignments. He holds a BA and MA in International Relations from Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia, where he was also a guest lecturer and teaching fellow for undergraduate and post-graduate courses in the field of international relations and global development.
Myanthi Peiris
Business and Human Rights Specialist, Sri Lanka
Myanthi has experience in resource mobilization, communications, and advocacy. At UNDP Sri Lanka she has worked in the areas of Peacebuilding and Reconciliation. Prior to joining UNDP, she was employed at World Vision in their Grants Acquisition team. Myanthi is a Chevening Scholar and holds a master’s degree in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Nottingham.
Tarinee Suravoranon
Business and Human Rights Specialist, Thailand
Tarinee has been working in the field of human rights for over eight years. Previously, she worked as a sustainability consultant, specialized in human rights due diligence. She had engaged with companies in Thailand and overseas on capacity building on business and human rights as well as establishment of internal human rights management system. Tarinee holds a master's degree in Public Policy with specialization on Social Policy and a BA in Political Science.
Hien Bui
Legal and Policy Specialist, Viet Nam
Hien is lawyer who specializes in public international law with a strong focus on human rights. Currently, she is leading the human rights portfolio of UNDP Viet Nam’s Governance and Participation Unit. She has been managing the national Business and Human Rights Project since April 2022. Before joining UNDP, Hien worked on justice and human rights in several countries in Europe and Southeast Asia. Hien received her legal education in Vietnam and England. She speaks Vietnamese, English and French.
Yuji Shinohara
JPO – Governance Analyst, Viet Nam
Yuji (Japan) has joined the Governance and Participation Team in the role as Governance Analyst. He holds a Master’s degree in Information Studies (data science and economics),he has working experience in JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) for 8.5 years. Prior to joining UNDP Viet Nam, he worked as section chief of Governance and Industrial Development at JICA Cambodia Office for such as PPP financing, Decentralization, Trafficking in Person and others.
Bangkok Regional Hub
United Nations Development Programme
3rd Floor United Nations Service Building
Rajdamnern Nok Avenue
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 304-9100
Fax: +66 2 280-2700
Contact us via email: bizhumanrights.asia@undp.org
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