01.31.24 – Professor Martha Davis, an internationally recognized expert on human rights, is a finalist for a position as the UN independent expert on a democratic and equitable world order. Seventeen eligible candidates were considered, and Davis is among the top three candidates ranked as best qualified to fulfil the UN mandate for the position, which promotes and encourages respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all and respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, peace, democracy, justice, equality, the rule of law, pluralism, development, better standards of living and solidarity.
“Professor Davis has been a key leader of Northeastern Law’s Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy and has been active globally in the movement to implement human rights at the local level,” noted Dean James Hackney. “We are extremely proud of her contributions to advancing human rights, and this impressive recognition by the UN.”
The independent expert is guided by a mandate that includes identifying possible obstacles to the promotion and protection of a democratic and equitable international order, submitting proposals and/or recommendations to the Human Rights Council on possible actions in that regard, and identifying best practices in the promotion and protection of a democratic and equitable international order at the local, national, regional and international levels, among several other responsibilities. This position is one of 46 thematic mandates established by the United Nations.
Davis is currently a visiting fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Kennedy School of Government. In 2015-2016, she held the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI), Lund University, in Lund, Sweden. She continued her work with RWI in 2017-2018, when she received a Fulbright Specialist Award, and she is now an affiliated scholar of the institute. She is also chair of the expert committee for the Human Right 2 Water, a Geneva-based non-governmental organization that advocates for water and human rights.
Northeastern University School of Law has been awarded an “A+” in human rights by The National Jurist/preLaw.
About Northeastern University School of Law
The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,000 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.
For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu