Joan Birika is the Senior Manager for Human Rights at the United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. She is responsible for programme development and implementation on Business and Human Rights (BHR) at the global level and strategic partnership management. She holds extensive experience spanning over twenty years in human rights programming, business development and social entrepreneurship, law and policy advocacy, politics & democracy and women's and children's rights in various parts of the world, including East, Central and Horn of Africa, the UAE and the United States. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Laws degree.