Dr Michael Addo

Dr Michael K. Addo researches and teaches international human rights law with a particular interest in the broad area of evidence-based human rights law.  His recent work on The Legal Nature of International Human Rights Law (Nijhoff 2010) is in this tradition, as is his work on human rights and transnational corporations. The aim of his focus on evidence-based research is to explore international human rights law from the point of view of recognised actors especially institutions and agencies that are mandated to implement and oversee human rights guarantees.  Recently, his attention has been focused on the practice of human rights treaty bodies within the UN, the Council of Europe, the African Union and the Organisation of American States. He is continuing this line of enquiry along other themes such as cultural diversity and transnational corporations.

Michael is one of five members of the UN Working Group on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises, which was established in June 2011.  The Working Group is tasked with promoting and disseminating the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and ensuring that they are effectively implemented by governments and business.  Michael researches and teaches International Human Rights Law as well as Human Rights and International Business Policy.  He edited one of the earliest collection of essays on Human Rights Standards and the Responsibility of Transnational Corporations (Nijhoff 1998), as well as having published many journal articles and conference papers in this field.

Dr Addo has acted as consultant for a variety of institutions including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Commission of Jurist.  He has also lectured at leading institutions including the International Institute of Human Rights (Strasbourg), Universities of Milan, Padova, Connecticut and Paris XI.