Through a series of panel discussions, lectures, workshops and case studies, this day long virtual Module will address how lawyers can contribute to the achievement of the cluster of SDGs which focus on prosperity; SDGs 8 (Decent work and economic growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 10 (Reduced Inequalities) & 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The aim is for participants to build a wider awareness of the challenges to global sustainable development, and how within the practice as a lawyer, through the law and processes can bring about impactful change.
The Module features seminars provided by lawyers and in-house counsel in practice, as well as experts to teach how existing international legal frameworks, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and Equator Principles, can be applied to support progressively responsible business practices to ensure growth does not compromise social and environmental resilience and sustainability and lastly a case study of effective international pro bono work that has improved the capacity of the legal sector in East Africa.
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Our introductory panel will host two senior lawyers in practice, who each will provide insights, on how through their practice, they have been able to contribute towards the achievement of the SDGs, and more specifically towards SDGs 8, 9, 10 and 11.
Please come prepared with your questions.
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Sung-Hyui Park is a Senior Associate in the Impact Economy practice at Bates Wells, the first UK law firm to be certified as a B Corp. Sung-Hyui advises on the full range of activities carried out by clients seeking to have a positive social impact through their business and other activities, including capital-raising, formation, governance, and general not-for-profit and commercial law issues.
Before joining Bates Wells, Sung-Hyui trained and worked for 10 years in the Banking & Finance team at Clifford Chance, where she advised on a wide range of international and national financing transactions.
Bates Wells
As well as providing legal advice to Impact Economy clients, Bates Wells is unique in spearheading many developments and reforms in the charity, social enterprise and impact economy sectors, in each case on a pro bono basis and in the furtherance of the SDGs. This includes creating the UK Legal Test for UK certified B Corps, as well as the concepts of community interest companies (CICs), social investment tax relief (SITR) and the statutory social investment power for charities.
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Christina Pak specializes in international development finance, law and policy reform, dispute resolution and ESG standards and drives thought leadership on sustainable development issues. She is currently a Principal Counsel of the Asian Development Bank and manages the Office of General Counsel's Law and Policy Reform Program which designs and implements legal and judicial reform technical assistance projects across the Asia and the Pacific region. Christina oversees a diverse portfolio in the areas of environmental protection and climate change, gender equality, private sector development, public-private partnerships and digital economy. She also serves as ADB’s Accountability Mechanism Policy Counsel advising the Board of Directors, the Office of the Compliance Review Panel and the Office of the Special Project Facilitator. In her previous role as a project counsel at ADB, Christina worked on complex multi-sector projects across the Central and West, Southeast and East Asia regions. She is a Steering Committee Member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Christina is a US-qualified lawyer, admitted in the States of New York and New Jersey.
Patricia Rhee has more than 20 years of legal experience as an international finance lawyer specializing in international development finance in Australia, United Kingdom, and Asia, and has advised on ADB’s sovereign investment projects in the Southeast Asia, East Asia and Central and West Asia regions across energy and transport, water supply and sanitation, and health and education sectors. Patricia was part of ADB’s core team leading its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly on the establishment of ADB’s $13 billion COVID-19 Pandemic Response Option under ADB’s Countercyclical Support Facility to help developing member countries (DMCs) implement effective countercyclical expenditure programs to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic, and ADB’s $9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility to support the procurement, manufacturing and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines by ADB’s DMCs. Patricia also led an ADB technical assistance project in Myanmar to support the development of a modernized insolvency law, and support for commercial law training to judges, and members of the legal profession. Prior to joining ADB, Patricia was Vice President in the European Leveraged Finance legal team at Barclays Capital, London and also worked at Ashurst, London and Allens Linklaters, Sydney specializing in leveraged finance, debt capital markets and M&A.
The Asian Development BankThe Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a multilateral development bank headquartered in Manila, Philippines. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members - 49 from the Asia and the Pacific region. ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. It assists its members and partners by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to promote social and economic development. More information can be found at https://www.adb.org/
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It is 11 years since the UN adopted the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). These principles set out the differentiated obligations and responsibilities for States and business in relation to business related human rights harms. They also provide a framework to assist businesses to know and show respect for rights, principally using 'human rights due diligence'.
The UNGP and the concept of human rights due diligence is now being referred to in legislation, setting a standard for responsible business conduct including in relation to human rights. In particular, the role that the UNGP will have in sustainability and ESG frameworks, and how this impacts business development within development contexts such as within the African continent.
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Victoria is the business and human rights specialist responsible for the Africa region, based at the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Victoria previously served as the Regional Analyst and Coordinator for UNDP’s pioneer project on business and human rights in Asia. She also consulted for UNDP in women, peace and security and youth and civic engagement. Previously, she focused on the skills development of marginalised youth in Latin America and the Caribbean and managed human rights advocacy programs in 20+ countries. Victoria started her career at the UN Environment Global Headquarters in Nairobi, supporting NGOs engaging at the UN Environmental Assembly.
Victoria is a Brazilian licensed lawyer with 10 years of work experience and a Master's degree in International Law and Human Rights from the University of London.
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In areas with weak regulation, large-scale construction projects can result in significant environmental and social damage, with no recourse to justice for those harmed.
As an example of responsible financing, this session will explore the Equator Principles, which were developed by the International Finance Corporation to manage and mitigate the social and environmental risks of projects and to promote responsible development.
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Helena Anderson is the co-founder and COO of net zero bankability advisor, accelerator and developer, Ikigai, focused on delivering the energy transition for industrial zones, cities and heavy energy consumers in EMEA. Prior to Ikigai, she was head of energy capital investment at the UK Department for International Trade and a project finance lawyer at Herbert Smith Freehills. She helped define the drafting standards for social and environmental risk in loan documentation working closely with international banks and the Equator Principles Association.
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Over the past 5 years A4ID has been working in partnership with national bar associations in East Africa through the East African Law Society (EALS) to create awareness on UN Guiding Principles as a framework lawyers can use to advise businesses to uphold their corporate responsibility to respect the rights of their employees, supply chain, stakeholders and communities interacting with their business.
During this session, Achillieus Romward, Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania and active member of EALS will provide an overview of the partnership between A4ID and EALS and the impact that has been achieved in developing the capacities of East African lawyers that has been achieved through the deployment of pro bono legal expertise support.
