Olawuyi becomes UN working group chair

Prof. Damilola Olawuyi has emerged the Chairman of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights. Olawuyi, who represents Africa in the working group, took over from his Asia-Pacific counterpart on July 1.

The body was established in 2011 through the UN Resolution 17/4, to promote the effective and comprehensive dissemination and implementation of the UN guiding principles on business and human rights through country visits, capacity building and dialogue with governments and all relevant actors, especially business enterprises.

Speaking on his appointment, Olawuyi, who is also the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti said: “Our working group has the mandate of promoting responsible business conduct in all key economic sectors. I look forward to working with governments, business enterprises, civil actors and other stakeholders across the world in advancing this important task.”

Olawuyi, a Harvard and Oxford-trained scholar with expertise in petroleum, mining, energy, environment, business, human rights and public international law, has published over 150 articles, book chapters and books on all aspects of sustainable development in the extractive industries.

He has served as a consultant to the UN and World Bank, as well as the UK’s Department for International Department, among others. He is the President of the International Law Association (Nigerian Branch), Global Vice Chair of the International Law Association (ILA) and member of the International Bar Association’s academic advisory group on energy, environment and natural resources.

In 2020, he was appointed by the African Union (AU) to serve on the AU Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights Violations, while in 2021, he was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari as a member of the Governing Board of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

In 2020, he was elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) at the age of 37, becoming the youngest academic to hold the rank.
Earlier this year, he received the 2023 American Society of International Law (ASIL) book prize for his acclaimed text, environmental law in Arab States, published by Oxford University Press.