Harshani Dharmadasa Email & Phone Number

New York, Ny, Us

New York, United States

RESPONSIBILITIES Serve as the primary focal point for incubating programmatic initiatives being developed by the Foundation and its UN and other partners in the context of the SDGs, COVID response, and recovery. Youth and Future Generations – Working with the world’s leading youth-led and youth-focused organizations to build a high-ambition coalition that can support UN efforts to deliver young people’s priorities for next and future generations  Leaving No One Behind – Working with leading civil society, research, and multilateral partners to keep extreme poverty at the top of the global agenda, test what’s working, and direct resources and innovations to critical pathways for ending multidimensional poverty, especially where it is most persistent, including through the potential to support a multi-stakeholder Last Mile Alliance

Greater New York City Area

RESPONSIBILITIES Provide strategic leadership for the Pathfinders team developing and implementing policy, advocacy, and communications strategies (resource mobilization, policy analysis, communications, coalition building), focusing on the UN Sustainable Development 2030 Agenda and peace, justice, and inclusion. Lead Pathfinders global advocacy and national delivery strategy to support 36 members states in the implementation of the nationalized Sustainable Development Goals and targets related to peace, justice, and inclusion (SDG16+). This includes participatory and sectoral reviews, identification of SDGs accelerators, reports on national priorities and recommendations, knowledge-exchange and South-South dialogues, and tailored policy briefs to enable countries to contribute to global debates on SDG implementation. Build and manage multi-stakeholder partnerships to drive system-wide policy change, shift public narratives, and power people-driven movements for change. Forged high-ambition partnerships with Global Citizen, Peace One Day, United Nations SDG Action Campaign, and the One Campaign. Spearheaded the Business Leaders for Justice Coalition led by a growing alliance of influential business leaders committed to driving justice within communities, workplaces and operations, such as The Body Shop, Uber, and the Avon Foundation. Co-lead a strong team of 18 staff and fostering an environment of optimism, collaboration, rigor, and innovation, with six direct reports. This includes communication of performance expectations, goal alignment across three vertical teams, overall project and financial management, staff mentorship and development, and knowledge management.

Greater New York City Area

RESPONSIBILITIES Strategic leadership to BRAC on the global expansion of BRAC’s graduation approach, including fundraising, establishing and nurturing key partnerships, recruitment and expansion of technical and communications teams, and direct management of three staff members. Technical and policy advice on integrated, context-specific social protection programming to Governments, NGOs, and BRAC. This includes conducting tailored in-country and institutional assessments and preparing national costing budgets, planning, and implementation frameworks. Define evaluation design and key research questions to provide evidence on best practices, cost-effectiveness, lessons learned, inform programmatic decisions and adaptations, and contribute to the global body of evidence. This includes participating in UN working groups, inter-agency task forces, and global conferences. Oversee the global advocacy and learning agenda, including compilation and dissemination of evidence, data-informed solutions, and promising approaches, and lessons learned to local, national, and regional-level intergovernmental bodies, donors, partners, and other stakeholders. Strengthen the delivery capacity of staff, implementing partners, government counterparts, and other stakeholders in program monitoring and evaluation, data collection, and management by curriculum development and specialized training, virtual support, and in-country assistance.

Greater New York City Area

RESPONSIBILITIES Provide legal expertise and support to UN Women’s work on gender equality and gender mainstreaming in different fields, including analysis, advice, and recommendations of legal texts, proposed legislative amendments, and new laws that have an impact on women's rights and gender equality. Support UN Women to develop an annual work plan based on legal analysis of advocacy and program implementation.  Develop background papers, briefing notes, talking points, reports on the impacts of recent legal frameworks, and the proposed amendments on gender equality for different target groups, as required by the Rule of Law team.

Greater New York City Area

RESPONSIBILITIES Conduct legal research and drafting memoranda on the human rights situation in countries of interest and on thematic issues (e.g. the right to freedom of expression, right to nationality). Prepare documents in support of litigation before international tribunals (e.g. Inter-American Human Rights System, African Human Rights System, UN Treaty Bodies), including investigations, research, national and international advocacy before governments, international organizations, and U.N. special procedures, media work, and community engagement. Lead research on the application of international human rights norms to country conditions, developments in the domestic legal systems of specific countries and their implications for human rights, and other questions. Maintain and manage client communication, including human rights defenders, and civil society partners around the world in support of joint litigation and advocacy.

New Delhi, India

RESPONSIBILITIES Manage fact-finding country missions to directly assess the human rights situation, facilitate dialogue with all relevant state authorities, including those in the executive, legislative and judicial branches, and gather information from victims, witnesses, international and local NGOs and other members of civil society, the academic community, and officials of international agencies. Lead communications with host country focal points from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Prime Minister or President as well as manage meetings, briefings, press coverage throughout country visits. Draft follow-up country reports providing an analysis of the situation and a set of conclusions and recommendations directed towards the Government, national human rights institutions, civil society, and UN Country teams.  Research and prepare thematic reports, including thematic reports to raise awareness of urgent issues and to shed light on best practices, challenges, and solutions.  Coordinate with the OHCHR and civil society networks to advocate on behalf of the victims and survivors through drafting joint advocacy strategies, urgent appeals, letters of allegation, press releases and statements.

New York

RESPONSIBILITIES Project manager of the Human Rights and Business Digital Platform BeHEARD (B-hrd.org), a resource for civil society and companies to identify, assess, and address human rights conditions in business operations globally. Drafted over 30 case studies on business and human rights in consultation with national civil society networks describing human rights conditions in law and practice and promote the uptake of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Serbia, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Published human rights reports, such as Big Pharma and access to HIV/AIDS drugs; Harmful mining practices in WesternShoshone; Holding private military contractors accountable for human rights violations. Designed online tools and videos to support documentation of rights violations and national advocacy campaigns. Manage and advise coalition of global, national and local civil society on developing and implementing business and human rights standards, including facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues and consultations with business, trade unions, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples. Write policy papers on key issues, including the human rights responsibilities of the financial and ICT sectors, company-level grievance mechanisms, and business responsibilities in conflict settings. Organize expert workshops on human rights and business for government, business, and civil society.

New York

 Provided technical assistance to implementing partners in 22 countries supporting rule of law, child protection, and women’s protection and empowerment UNDEF funded programs. Reviewed and consolidated quality and evaluation of 160+ programs, including civil society impact assessments, results-based frameworks, and budgeting.  Designed an interactive website to showcase successful stories, lessons learned, solutions, and voices from the field from past and present UNDEF projects.  Manage project design, implementation and monitoring of UNDEF funded programs, ranging from access to justice, ending gender-based violence, strengthening youth leadership in East Africa and South Asia, and supporting women-led solutions for sustainable agriculture and climate change. Coordinate with UNDP and regional and country program teams to ensure harmonization with national and multilateral projects. Support communications and media outreach, including drafting case studies, supporting joint communications campaigns with UN agencies and partners and funders, and print and online content.

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

 Drafted the "Asylum Explained" for asylum seekers, explaining the legal process of obtaining refugee status under Australian law.  Documented alleged instances of police brutality in detention facilities.  Researched and drafted communications to the UN Human Rights Committee on behalf of the victims of violations requesting urgent action by relevant authorities to respond and provide redress. Represent low-income and indigent clients on family-based petitions, asylum applications, legal applications for refugee status, and interactions with the justice system including pretrial detention.  One-to-one legal client consultations to help applicants prepare for their first and second instance admissibility/eligibility interviews, drafting grounds of appeal for first instance rejections, preparation, and submission of family reunification applications.  Provide legal advice during the refugee determination process and transition services, including during interviews and tribunal hearings with asylum seekers.

The Hague Area, Netherlands

 Support Trial Chamber III judges in the adjudication of war crimes trials, such as preparation for pretrial and trial and hearings, providing summaries and analysis of the evidence presented by prosecution and defense teams, assessment of witness testimony, legal research and drafting of final judgments, and analyzing and organizing testimonial evidence using criminal case management software.  Legal support in the adjudication of the following Trial Chamber II cases: — Boškoski and Tarčulovski, on violations of the laws or customs of war allegedly committed in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in August 2001.— Stanišić and Simatović, on crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war allegedly committed in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1991 and December 1995— Šešel, on crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war allegedly committed in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Vojvodina (Serbia) between August 1991 and September 1993.  Prepare legal memoranda on questions of international criminal law, international humanitarian law, public international law, international human rights law, national laws, and criminal procedure.  Support case management, including organizing and filing documents, submissions, decisions, and documentary evidence.

Melbourne, Australia

 Legal research in the areas of bankruptcy, insolvencies, public-private partnership and liquidations Provide litigation and dispute resolution advice directly to clients on bankruptcy and insolvency issues in domestic and international cases and alternative dispute resolution matters. Legal research and litigation support to Barrister Gerald Parncutt in commercial disputes and transactions, including drafting discovery responses, subpoenas, trial preparation, and client communication.

Galle, Sri Lanka

Collected data to identify the most vulnerable families and their needs, distributed relief materials, provided sanitation and other basic needs, and provide permanent housing solutions

Llm, International And Comparative Law

Bachelor Of Laws, Honors, Law

Bachelor Of Arts, Honors, International Relations And Affairs

Bachelor Of Laws - Llb

Master Of Laws - Llm