Expert Roundtable:

The U.N. Human Rights Council

Event Description

PILPG hosted an expert roundtable conversation on the United Nations Human Rights Council on September 10 from 12 pm to 1 pm EDT.

The United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations human rights system. It is made up of 47 states, which are tasked with the promotion and protection of human rights globally. The 47 seats are elected through a direct and secret ballot and are based on equitable geographical distribution. The Human Rights Council convenes in several regular sessions during the year and special sessions on topics of urgency. It also conducts thematic intersessional activities. The Human Rights Council is composed of several bodies, including the Universal Periodic Review Working Group, Advisory Committee, Complaint Procedure, and several special procedures.

With the 48th regular session of the Human Rights Council convening in Geneva from September 13, 2021 to October 8, 2021, our five panelists—Ambassador Yvette Stevens, Ambassador Zorica Marić-Djordjević, Ambassador Keith M. Harper, Ambassador Filloreta Kodra, and Ambassador Amanda Ellis—discussed their personal experiences engaging with the Human Rights Council and their thoughts about it and its effectiveness.

This event was part of the PILPG Thought Leadership Initiative. The Initiative focuses on prominent international law and international affairs topics and organizes monthly expert roundtables to share expertise and reflections from our work on peace negotiations, post-conflict constitution drafting, and war crimes prosecution.

Event Recording

Speakers

Ambassador Yvette StevensAmbassador Stevens has had a broad and long experience in the United Nations System. An Engineer by training, Ambassador Stevens studied at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute and at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London. She taught Engineering at the University of Sierra Leone for six years, before joining the United Nations in 1980, as a Village Technology Expert in ILO. At United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), she served as Evaluation Officer as well as Chief of the Technical Support Section of UNHCR in Geneva, both of which involved thorough analyses of refugee situations in about 30 countries, all over the world. She also served UNHCR in Africa, first as Deputy Liaison Representative in Ethiopia (1995 to 1997) and as the UNHCR Representative to Kenya and Somalia (1997 to 1999). In the latter capacity, she acted as the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia on a number of occasions. From 1999 to 2004, she worked as Director in DESA, the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa. Before retirement, she was the United Nations Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator and Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva from 2004 to 2006. After retirement from the UN, between 2006 and 2009, Ambassador Stevens worked as a freelance consultant on humanitarian issues as well as on disaster risk reduction in Africa. She worked as an Energy Policy Adviser to the Government of Sierra Leone from 2009 to 2012, before being appointed as Permanent Representative in Geneva. As Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone, Ambassador Stevens was active, inter alia, on human rights issues, (including Child Early and Forced Marriage, Persons Living with Albinism and Women’s Rights); trade (Women and Trade, Trade Assistance to Least Developing Countries); disarmament (Lethal Autonomous WeaponsSystems). She was a Geneva Gender Champion. She served as chair-rapporteur of the Human Rights Council expert group on Prevention (2019-2020). Ambassador Stevens is currently an Executive in Residence at Geneva Center for Security Policy. — **Ambassador Yvette Stevens**
Ambassador Stevens has had a broad and long experience in the United Nations System. An Engineer by training, Ambassador Stevens studied at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute and at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London. She taught Engineering at the University of Sierra Leone for six years, before joining the United Nations in 1980, as a Village Technology Expert in ILO. At United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), she served as Evaluation Officer as well as Chief of the Technical Support Section of UNHCR in Geneva, both of which involved thorough analyses of refugee situations in about 30 countries, all over the world. She also served UNHCR in Africa, first as Deputy Liaison Representative in Ethiopia (1995 to 1997) and as the UNHCR Representative to Kenya and Somalia (1997 to 1999). In the latter capacity, she acted as the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia on a number of occasions. From 1999 to 2004, she worked as Director in DESA, the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa. Before retirement, she was the United Nations Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator and Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva from 2004 to 2006. After retirement from the UN, between 2006 and 2009, Ambassador Stevens worked as a freelance consultant on humanitarian issues as well as on disaster risk reduction in Africa. She worked as an Energy Policy Adviser to the Government of Sierra Leone from 2009 to 2012, before being appointed as Permanent Representative in Geneva. As Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone, Ambassador Stevens was active, inter alia, on human rights issues, (including Child Early and Forced Marriage, Persons Living with Albinism and Women’s Rights); trade (Women and Trade, Trade Assistance to Least Developing Countries); disarmament (Lethal Autonomous WeaponsSystems). She was a Geneva Gender Champion. She served as chair-rapporteur of the Human Rights Council expert group on Prevention (2019-2020). Ambassador Stevens is currently an Executive in Residence at Geneva Center for Security Policy.

Ambassador Filloreta KodraFilloreta Kodra was Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, 2012-2018. During her posting as Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Ambassador Filloreta Kodra held different positions of representation for Albania, namely: Vice President of the Human Rights Council for the year 2015; Member of Consultative Group of Human Rights Council, year 2016; Member of working group on complaints procedures, year 2017; Vice President of the Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on the Ban and Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines; Vice President of the Sixteenth Annual Conference of the High Contracting Parties to Amended Protocol II of the Convention on certain Conventional Weapons 2014 (APII CCW, 13 November 2014, Geneva); Member of the Foundation Council of the Geneva Centre for Security and Policy, since December 2012; Deputy Member of the Governing Body International Labour Organization for the period 2014 - 2017; Chair of the Segment on Social Dialog at the 322 Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization; Chair of the Committee Employment and Decent Work for the Transition to Peace (ETDTP) of the 105th Session of the International Labour Conference (30 May-10 June 2016); WHO Alternate Member for Albania to the Executive Board of the World Health Organization for the period 2013 -2016; UNCTAD: Chair of the Trade and Development Commission, sixth session held on 05 - 09 May 2014; Vice president for Trade and Development; Friend of the President of Trade and development January 2016-April 2016; Member of International Geneva Gender Champions.Furthermore, Ambassador Kodra was Honorary Dean of Geneva School of Diplomacy in 2014. Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ms. Kodra had been serving as deputy Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. Ms. Kodra has been involved actively in main institutional reforms in Albania. Nominated director of Department of Public Administration at the Council of Ministers of Albania from 1998 to 2003, she led and implemented public administration reform, one of the most successful reforms of the Albanian democratization process at the time. Ms. Kodra has also a long and successful experience in implementing wage reform of Albanian public administration. She has a series of publications on wage issues and tripartite relations in Albania. — **Ambassador Filloreta Kodra**
Filloreta Kodra was Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, 2012-2018. During her posting as Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Ambassador Filloreta Kodra held different positions of representation for Albania, namely: Vice President of the Human Rights Council for the year 2015; Member of Consultative Group of Human Rights Council, year 2016; Member of working group on complaints procedures, year 2017; Vice President of the Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on the Ban and Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines; Vice President of the Sixteenth Annual Conference of the High Contracting Parties to Amended Protocol II of the Convention on certain Conventional Weapons 2014 (APII CCW, 13 November 2014, Geneva); Member of the Foundation Council of the Geneva Centre for Security and Policy, since December 2012; Deputy Member of the Governing Body International Labour Organization for the period 2014 - 2017; Chair of the Segment on Social Dialog at the 322 Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization; Chair of the Committee Employment and Decent Work for the Transition to Peace (ETDTP) of the 105th Session of the International Labour Conference (30 May-10 June 2016); WHO Alternate Member for Albania to the Executive Board of the World Health Organization for the period 2013 -2016; UNCTAD: Chair of the Trade and Development Commission, sixth session held on 05 - 09 May 2014; Vice president for Trade and Development; Friend of the President of Trade and development January 2016-April 2016; Member of International Geneva Gender Champions.
Furthermore, Ambassador Kodra was Honorary Dean of Geneva School of Diplomacy in 2014. Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ms. Kodra had been serving as deputy Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. Ms. Kodra has been involved actively in main institutional reforms in Albania. Nominated director of Department of Public Administration at the Council of Ministers of Albania from 1998 to 2003, she led and implemented public administration reform, one of the most successful reforms of the Albanian democratization process at the time. Ms. Kodra has also a long and successful experience in implementing wage reform of Albanian public administration. She has a series of publications on wage issues and tripartite relations in Albania.

Ambassador Zorica Marić-DjordjevićAmbassador Zorica Maric Djordjevic is a Senior Peace Fellow at PILPG. Her career in public service and diplomacy spans 40 years. Amb. Marić-Djordjević was the Head of the Permanent Mission of Montenegro to the World Trade Organization and Special Representative of Montenegro to the UN Human Rights Council 2013-2015. She has held leadership positions, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro and the Chief Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister. She served as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister and President of Montenegro to the US and the Head of Montenegro Trade Mission in Washington, DC. She was responsible for coordinating USAID assistance and was the liaison tothe US Congress, State Department, and the Pentagon for the Government of Montenegro. Through these positions, Amb. Marić-Djordjević made a case for Montenegro's independence and its membership in NATO. She participated in NDI/UN peacebuilding mission in Sierra Leone in 2007 and led the PILPG Mission in South Sudan in 2010. After retiring from diplomatic service in May 2020, she joins Alexandria Group International and the WTO experts' network on Trade for Peace as an independent consultant. She continues to advocate on issues of transitional justice, human rights, and empowerment of women. She is a visitingspeaker at El Colegio de Mexico, Guillermo Aguilar Alvarez – Program in International Trade Negotiation for 2021. — **Ambassador Zorica Marić-Djordjević**
Ambassador Zorica Maric Djordjevic is a Senior Peace Fellow at PILPG. Her career in public service and diplomacy spans 40 years. Amb. Marić-Djordjević was the Head of the Permanent Mission of Montenegro to the World Trade Organization and Special Representative of Montenegro to the UN Human Rights Council 2013-2015. She has held leadership positions, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro and the Chief Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister. She served as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister and President of Montenegro to the US and the Head of Montenegro Trade Mission in Washington, DC. She was responsible for coordinating USAID assistance and was the liaison tothe US Congress, State Department, and the Pentagon for the Government of Montenegro. Through these positions, Amb. Marić-Djordjević made a case for Montenegro's independence and its membership in NATO. She participated in NDI/UN peacebuilding mission in Sierra Leone in 2007 and led the PILPG Mission in South Sudan in 2010. After retiring from diplomatic service in May 2020, she joins Alexandria Group International and the WTO experts' network on Trade for Peace as an independent consultant. She continues to advocate on issues of transitional justice, human rights, and empowerment of women. She is a visitingspeaker at El Colegio de Mexico, Guillermo Aguilar Alvarez – Program in International Trade Negotiation for 2021.

Ambassador Amanda EllisFormer UN Ambassador Amanda Ellis currently serves as Executive Director, Asia-Pacific for the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation and Senior Director, Global Partnerships and Networks for the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. She is co-chair of the WE Empower UN SDG Challenge, launched by the UN Secretary General, the President of the World Bank and the Council of Women World Leaders in 2018 to promote inclusive entrepreneurship.Previous roles include New Zealand’s Head of Mission and Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, inaugural Ambassador for Women and Girls and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Francophone Africa. Ms Ellis played a key role in New Zealand’s successful UN Security Council bid, subsequently serving as co-chair of the UNSC High Level Working Group on Humanitarian Access into Syria. From 2010-13 as Deputy Secretary International Development and the first woman to head the New Zealand Aid Programme, Ms Ellis was responsible for an annual budget of over $0.6 billion. Prior to this, Ms. Ellis was Lead Specialist in the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Group at the World Bank Group in Washington D.C., where she managed the World Bank President’s Global Private Sector CEO Leaders Forum and led the Doing Business gender research project which created “Women, Business and the Law.” While at the World Bank, she worked with the Economist Intelligence Unit to create the Women’s Economic Opportunity Index. Ms. Ellis also founded the International Finance Corporation’s gender program, where she developed the first lines of credit for women entrepreneurs in Africa delivered through local banks. In the late 1990s she served in senior executive roles at Westpac Banking Corporation in Australia, including as Head of Women’s Markets and National Manager Women in Business, growing a new business rapidly to over half a billion dollars in annual revenues within just three years.Ms. Ellis is the author of two best-selling Random House books, Women’s Business, Women’s Wealth and Woman 2 Woman, lead author of five research titles in the World Bank Directions in Development series on gender and growth in Africa, the Middle East, East Asia and the Pacific and co-author of the 2020 Gender Equality and Governance Index. A founding member of the Global Banking Alliance for Women, Ms. Ellis is the recipient of the TIAW Lifetime Achievement Award for services to women’s economic empowerment, the East-West Center Distinguished Alumni Award, the Columba College Distinguished Alumna Award and NZ Business Hall of Fame.Ms. Ellis serves on the advisory boards of the Global Governance Forum, UN Target Gender Equality, Blue Planet Alliance, Hawaii Green Growth, Bishop Museum, Institute for Climate and Peace, the East-West Center Board Of Governors and the Council on Foreign Relations Advisory Committee on economic inclusion. She is an adjunct Senior Fellow at the East-West Center in Hawaii and a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, a member of NZ Global Women and an honorary member of BPW International and Rotary International.Ms. Ellis holds a BA First Class Honors degree in French and Economics from the University of Otago, New Zealand, an MA degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa which she earned on an East-West Center scholarship, an LTCL from Trinity College of London. She has completed executive education programs at Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government, the Stanford Graduate School of Business and INSEAD, and the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies Transnational Security Course for two star generals and civilian equivalent. — **Ambassador Amanda Ellis**
Former UN Ambassador Amanda Ellis currently serves as Executive Director, Asia-Pacific for the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation and Senior Director, Global Partnerships and Networks for the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. She is co-chair of the WE Empower UN SDG Challenge, launched by the UN Secretary General, the President of the World Bank and the Council of Women World Leaders in 2018 to promote inclusive entrepreneurship.
Previous roles include New Zealand’s Head of Mission and Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, inaugural Ambassador for Women and Girls and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Francophone Africa. Ms Ellis played a key role in New Zealand’s successful UN Security Council bid, subsequently serving as co-chair of the UNSC High Level Working Group on Humanitarian Access into Syria. From 2010-13 as Deputy Secretary International Development and the first woman to head the New Zealand Aid Programme, Ms Ellis was responsible for an annual budget of over $0.6 billion. Prior to this, Ms. Ellis was Lead Specialist in the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Group at the World Bank Group in Washington D.C., where she managed the World Bank President’s Global Private Sector CEO Leaders Forum and led the Doing Business gender research project which created “Women, Business and the Law.” While at the World Bank, she worked with the Economist Intelligence Unit to create the Women’s Economic Opportunity Index. Ms. Ellis also founded the International Finance Corporation’s gender program, where she developed the first lines of credit for women entrepreneurs in Africa delivered through local banks. In the late 1990s she served in senior executive roles at Westpac Banking Corporation in Australia, including as Head of Women’s Markets and National Manager Women in Business, growing a new business rapidly to over half a billion dollars in annual revenues within just three years.
Ms. Ellis is the author of two best-selling Random House books, Women’s Business, Women’s Wealth and Woman 2 Woman, lead author of five research titles in the World Bank Directions in Development series on gender and growth in Africa, the Middle East, East Asia and the Pacific and co-author of the 2020 Gender Equality and Governance Index. A founding member of the Global Banking Alliance for Women, Ms. Ellis is the recipient of the TIAW Lifetime Achievement Award for services to women’s economic empowerment, the East-West Center Distinguished Alumni Award, the Columba College Distinguished Alumna Award and NZ Business Hall of Fame.
Ms. Ellis serves on the advisory boards of the Global Governance Forum, UN Target Gender Equality, Blue Planet Alliance, Hawaii Green Growth, Bishop Museum, Institute for Climate and Peace, the East-West Center Board Of Governors and the Council on Foreign Relations Advisory Committee on economic inclusion. She is an adjunct Senior Fellow at the East-West Center in Hawaii and a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, a member of NZ Global Women and an honorary member of BPW International and Rotary International.
Ms. Ellis holds a BA First Class Honors degree in French and Economics from the University of Otago, New Zealand, an MA degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa which she earned on an East-West Center scholarship, an LTCL from Trinity College of London. She has completed executive education programs at Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government, the Stanford Graduate School of Business and INSEAD, and the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies Transnational Security Course for two star generals and civilian equivalent.

Ambassador Keith M. HarperAmbassador Keith M. Harper is a Partner at Jenner & Block where he is Chair of the Native American Practice and Co-Chair of the Human Rights and Global Strategy Practice. From 2014 to 2017, he served as United States Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the U.N. Human Rights Council. From 2010 to 2014, Ambassador Harper served as Commissioner on the President’s Commission on White House Fellows. He has taught law as an adjunct at both American University Washington College of Law and Catholic University Columbus School of Law. Ambassador Harper is a graduate of NYU School of Law where he was an Articles and Note editor of the Journal of International Law & Politics and Fellow of the Center of International Studies as well as a Root-Tilden-Snow Scholar. Ambassador Harper received his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. He clerked for Lawrence W. Pierce on the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. — **Ambassador Keith M. Harper**
Ambassador Keith M. Harper is a Partner at Jenner & Block where he is Chair of the Native American Practice and Co-Chair of the Human Rights and Global Strategy Practice. From 2014 to 2017, he served as United States Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the U.N. Human Rights Council. From 2010 to 2014, Ambassador Harper served as Commissioner on the President’s Commission on White House Fellows. He has taught law as an adjunct at both American University Washington College of Law and Catholic University Columbus School of Law. Ambassador Harper is a graduate of NYU School of Law where he was an Articles and Note editor of the Journal of International Law & Politics and Fellow of the Center of International Studies as well as a Root-Tilden-Snow Scholar. Ambassador Harper received his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. He clerked for Lawrence W. Pierce on the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.

MODERATOR

Milena Sterio, the Charles R. Emrick Jr. - Calfee Halter & Griswold Professor of Law at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and Managing Director at PILPG is a leading expert on international law, international criminal law and human rights. Sterio is one of six permanent editors of the prestigious IntLawGrrls blog, and a frequent contributor to the blog focused on international law, policy and practice. In the spring of 2013, Sterio was selected as a Fulbright Scholar, spending the semester in Baku, Azerbaijan, at Baku State University. While in Baku, she had the opportunity to teach and conduct research on secession issues under international law related to the province of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh. Serving as a maritime piracy law expert, she has participated in meetings of the United Nations Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia as well as in the work of the United Nations Global Counterterrorism Forum. Sterio has also assisted piracy prosecutions in Mauritius, Kenya and the Seychelles Islands. Sterio is a graduate of Cornell Law School and the University of Paris I, and was an associate in the New York City firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton before joining the ranks of academia full time. She has published seven books and numerous law review articles. Her latest book, “The Syrian Conflict’s Impact on International Law,” (co-authored with Paul Williams and Michael Scharf) was published by Cambridge University Press in 2020.