Human Rights First Welcomes Scott Busby as Senior Advisor

Washington, DC— Human Rights First is pleased to announce that Scott Busby, a distinguished expert and advocate with over 30 years of experience in human rights, refugee protection, and migration issues, has joined the organization as a Senior Advisor. Scott brings a wealth of expertise from his extensive tenure in the U.S. government and international organizations, including the United Nations (UN).

Scott most recently served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State, where for a decade he oversaw critical portfolios, including democracy and human rights issues in East Asia and the Pacific, Africa, the Western Hemisphere, multilateral diplomacy on human rights, business and human rights, labor rights, and human rights-based sanctions.  For several years, he also served as Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State where he managed the bureau’s budget, personnel, and programs.

“At this pivotal and complex moment for democracy and U.S. foreign policy, I’m thrilled that Scott will be bringing his invaluable expertise to the work of Human Rights First,” said the organization’s President and CEO Sue Hendrickson. “As the human rights movement grapples with the challenges of rising authoritarianism, backsliding democracies, emerging technology, mass migration, and ongoing assaults on the rule of law, Scott’s strategic insights from decades of leadership in government and international organizations will help us navigate the rapidly evolving global landscape.”

In addition to his leadership in the Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor, Scott served as a director on human rights and refugee issues at the National Security Council, directed the Office of Policy and Resource Planning at the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration in the Department of State, and worked as an asylum officer and lawyer with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. His work with international organizations, includes working as lawyer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Washington, D.C. and as Coordinator of the Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum and Refugees.

“I am honored to work with the team at Human Rights First to tackle today’s pressing human rights challenges,” said Scott.  “As authoritarianism spreads, migration crises deepen, and the rule of law comes under assault, it is more critical than ever to prioritize the protection of people and to work together to uphold democratic principles and work together to advance the ideals of human dignity and freedom.”

In addition to his work advising Human Rights First, Scott is a Distinguished Fellow with the Human Rights Institute at Georgetown University Law Center and a Senior Associate with the Human Rights Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).