Martina Trusgnach

Martina is a keen researcher interested in the relation between public procurement and human rights. She joined the BHRE as a VC Scholar to do undertake her PhD in January 2021. Her research will examine the impact of COVID-19 on public procurement supply chains. It will explore how best to use international human rights law and due diligence processes to prevent public buyers from contributing to future human rights violations in times of crisis, and to remedy to the ones which have already taken place. She will undertake her PhD in collaboration with the London Universities Purchasing Consortium (LUPC), while also supporting their wider responsible procurement work.

 Martina holds a first class MA in Russian Studies and Politics and an LLM with distinction in Human Rights Law from the University of Edinburgh. Her interest in this field was developed especially during her master’s year, when she joined the Social Responsibility and Sustainability Department of the University for a work-based placement on modern slavery grievance mechanisms. In particular, she researched the role of higher education institutions in remediation for labour abuses in their supply chains, and provided practical recommendations for the University to improve its current approach.  After graduating, she also worked for Together, Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights, on human rights incorporation in Scotland.

She designed and managed the first Business and Human Rights Programme in Mexico’s National Human Rights Institution (NHRI). In the NHRI, she held positions as Director, Advisor and Researcher. Her work focused on capacity-building, awareness-raising, policy advice and field fact-finding on business-related abuses on human rights in public procurement, mining, construction, education, health and energy industries. She has collaborated with several UN initiatives and agencies in Tanzania, The Netherlands, Cameroon, and Latin America and participated in consultancy projects for multilateral development agencies like the InterAmerican Development Bank to embed economic, financial, environmental and social sustainability throughout the entire lifecycle of public procurement. Laura has been panellist in 30+ national, regional and international fora on business and human rights, including the United Nations. She has several publications on responsible business conduct, sustainable public procurement and indigenous consultation.