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Christopher Avery

Director

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

avery@business-humanrights.org

From 1983 to 1995 Chris worked at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in London, first as Legal Adviser, then as Deputy Head of the Research Department (the department then comprising 130 staff in 6 units: Africa, Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Legal & Intergovernmental Organisations). His work at Amnesty included representing the organisation at the United Nations, undertaking research missions and trial observations in various countries, ensuring the quality and impartiality of country research, and serving as a member of the Senior Management Group.

After leaving Amnesty, Chris conducted independent field research on the extent to which companies were contributing to development and human rights projects in South Africa, India, Thailand and the Philippines. When he returned to Europe, he discussed human rights issues with multinational companies preparing to adopt human rights policies. He researched and wrote Business and Human Rights in a Time of Change, a 108-page report published by Amnesty International UK. He also served on the Advisory Group for the business & human rights project conducted by the International Council on Human Rights Policy (Geneva), which resulted in the report Beyond Voluntarism: Human rights and the developing international legal obligations of companies (2002).

In late 2000 he founded the Business & Human Rights Resource Website, which became the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre in September 2002.

Focus: Business, Human Rights, United Kingdom, Europe, Global

Related Resources:

• Christopher Avery Interviewed by Devin Stewart (Audio)

Selected Publications:

Business and Human Rights in a Time of Change (London: Amnesty International UK, Feb. 2000)

"Business and Human Rights in a Time of Change," in M. Kamminga and S. Zia-Zarifi (eds.), Liability of Multinational Corporations under International Law (The Hague: Kluwer International Law, 2000)

"Business and Human Rights," in V. Iyer (ed.), Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law: Essays in Honour of Nani Palkhivala (New Delhi: Butterworths, 2000) 

"Refugee Status Decision-Making: The Systems of Ten Countries," Stanford Journal of International Law, vol. 19-2 (Oct. 1984)

Language Fluency:

Last Updated: Sep 25, 2006