Sebastian Smart is a human rights lawyer with a background in academia and advocacy. He currently serves as the Regional Director for the Chilean National Human Rights Institution and as a researcher at Universidad Austral de Chile. Sebastian has also worked extensively in non-governmental organizations in Chile, the United Kingdom, and Haiti, focusing on diverse human rights issues, including economic, social, and cultural rights and the impact of digital technology on human rights.
Sebastian holds a PhD in Latin American Studies and Human Rights from University College London, as well as an MA in Human Rights from the same institution. He also earned a law degree from Universidad Católica de Chile. Sebastian's scholarly work has resulted in numerous articles, book chapters, and reports on human rights, with a particular emphasis on business and human rights, transitional justice, and technology.
Sebastian has been visiting scholar at Oxford University. He is the author of the books: "Chile and the Interamerican Human Rights System" and "Pinochet's Economic Accomplices: An Unequal Country by Force." Sebastian's research has received support from the Chilean Government (Fondecyt 11220195), which enables him to study cases of litigation on business and human rights, with a focus on extractive and tech companies.
In addition to his academic work, Sebastian plays an active role in human rights policy and advocacy globally. He currently chairs the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions' working group on business and human rights and is a member of the Advisory Network of the Freedom Online Coalition.