SAHR Appoints New Chairperson and Co- Chairperson
South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), announces the appointment of its new Chairperson, Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy and the Co-chairperson Dr. Roshmi Goswami. They were appointed by the SAHR Bureau at the virtual meeting held on 11 November 2020.
Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy is a lawyer, academic, internationally recognised human rights advocate and former UN Special Representative. She was a Member of UN Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar and a member of the Secretary General’s Board of Advisors on Mediation – 2017 and a member of the Constitutional Council, Sri Lanka (2015-2018). In 2014 she led the global study to review the 15-year implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Dr. Coomarswamy also held the position of the UN Under Secretary General and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict (2006 – 2012), Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka from (2003 – 2006), UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and an independent expert attached to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva from (1994 – 2003).
Dr. Roshmi Goswami is a feminist and human rights activist known for her pioneering work on women in armed conflict situations. She has founded and provided leadership to a couple of organisations on women’s rights in India and is associated with several international human rights and feminist organisations. She was a Governing Board member of the US based Urgent Action Fund which supports women human rights defenders across the world, founder Board member of Urgent Action Fund-Asia Pacific, core group member of the South Asia feminist network – SANGAT, Board member of CESR, New York and Working Group member of the Asia Pacific Women’s Alliance on Peace and Security (APWAPS).
SAHR also welcomes its new Bureau members Ms. Muktasree Chakma Sathi (Bangladesh), Mr Amitabh Behar (India), Ms. Fareesha Abdulla (the Maldives), Dr. Renu Adhikari Rajbhandari (Nepal), Mr Sushil Pyakurel (Nepal), Ms. Munizae Jahangir (Pakistan), Mr. Ahmad Rafay Alam (Pakistan), Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu (Sri Lanka) and Ms. Dilrukshi Handunnetti (Sri Lanka).
SAHR takes this opportunity to thank Ms. Sultana Kamal the outgoing Chairperson and Mr. Mohamed Latheef, outgoing Co-Chairperson for their leadership and commitment to SAHR during their tenure.
Deekshya Illangasinghe
Executive Director