Andrew Hudson

Manager
Human Rights Defenders Program
Joined Human Rights First in 2006

As Manager in the Human Rights Defenders Program, Andrew assists and supports human rights advocates in Latin America, focusing on Guatemala and Colombia. He seeks policy change through field-based analysis and high level advocacy with the Colombian, Guatemalan and US governments; by engaging with UN system and regional human rights mechanisms; and by mobilizing the media and public support.

Before coming to Human Rights First, Andrew was a human rights lawyer in Australia, where he represented indigent clients and refugees and spearheaded major law reform projects, such as the adoption of a Bill of Rights. Internationally, he has considerable human rights experience working within the United Nations system. He worked with Colombian refugees for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Ecuador and was a member of the Australian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly. He was also a consultant to the UN Regional Commission for Asia-Pacific in Thailand and to UNESCO in the Pacific Islands. He has also worked for the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions and on counter-terrorism and transitional justice issues with Human Rights Watch, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the International Center for Transitional Justice.

Andrew earned his BA, with honors in international relations, and law degree (LLB) from the University of Melbourne, Australia, in 2001. He obtained his Masters of Laws (LLM) from New York University School of Law in 2006, specializing in international human rights law.