Commission on Human Rights Pratima Narayan Confirmation Resolution of 2026

MU
RIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
May 19, 2026
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
142; D.C. Official Code § 1- 523.01), and pursuant to section 403 of the Human Rights Act of 1977,
effective December 7, 2004 (D.C. Law 15-216; D.C. Official Code § 2-1404.03), I am pleased to
nominate the following individual:
Pratima Narayan
I Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003
(Ward 6)
for appointment as a member of the Commission on Human Rights, filling a vacant seat formerly held
by Maria Burnett, for the remainder of an unexpired term to end December 31, 2026, and for a
subsequent term to end December 31, 2029.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-m entioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
do not hesitate to contact me or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
Sincerely,
Muriel B owser
Mayor
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at the request of the Mayor
A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
To confirm the appointment of Pratima Narayan as a member of the Commission on Human
Rights.
RESOLVED , BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the "Commission on Human Rights Pratima Narayan Confirmation
Resolution of 2026".
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
Pratima Narayan
I Street, NW
Washington, DC 20003
(Ward 6)
as a member of the Commission on Human Rights, established by section 401 of the Human
Rights Act of 1977, effective December 7, 2004 (D .C. Law 15-216; D .C . Official Code§ 2-
1404.01 ), filling a vacant seat formerly held by Maria Burnett, for the remainder of an unexpired
term to end December 31, 2026, and for a subsequent term to end December 31, 2029.
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Mayor.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
PRATIMA T. NARAYAN
Strategic executive and international attorney with over 18 years of experience at the forefront of foreign policy, national
security and global advocacy. Recognized for building trusted partnerships across sectors and geographies and for leading
multistakeholder initiatives that strengthen institutional resilience, promote sustainable development and advance effective
governance. Brings deep subject-matter expertise in crisis response, investigations, ESG strategy and education, with a proven track
record of delivering results in diverse geopolitical contexts (North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin
America). Seasoned advisor to senior decision-makers, with influential roles spanning the White House/U.S. Department of State,
United Nations, premier global law firms, major philanthropic institutions and international NGOs. Known for intellectual agility,
steady leadership under pressure and a consistent ability to translate strategic vision into measurable, global impact.
Fluent in English and Caribbean Patois; proficient in French and Spanish. Held active Security Clearance. Member of the New York
State Bar (First Department).
CORE COMPETENCIES
Geopolitical Advisory Risk & Crisis Management
Policy Design & Analysis Government Relations
Investigations & Litigation Support Project Management
Diplomacy & Partnerships Stakeholder Mapping
Social Impact Multilateral Organizations
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Policy & Programming
SENIOR ADVISOR/ PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE
U.S. Department of State Washington, DC | 1/2024 - 1/2025
• Appointed by the President to serve in the Office of Global Criminal Justice, providing strategic legal counsel and
intelligence analysis to the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large on atrocity prevention and response across 27+ countries. Led a team of
32 subject matter experts advising the Secretary of State on international law violations in politically complex and high-stakes
environments.
• Spearheaded major organizational transformation as part of Senior Leadership Team, overseeing a 200% office
expansion and co-developing scalable, cross-functional systems that improved operational agility and delivery. Managed a $70M
global operating budget with a focus on strategic impact, resource optimization and institutional capacity-building to advance
international justice and governance objectives.
• Directed 7 policy portfolios, covering geopolitical conflicts in Asia and the Pacific, congressional strategy, multilateral
engagement and counter-ISIS finance. Drove collaboration with international organizations, civil society and key U.S. agencies
(Treasury, DOJ, USAID, DHS) to mitigate risk and produce concrete outcomes that supported accountable governance.
• Represented agency at National Security Council meetings, shaping policy and risk frameworks for fragile and emerging
markets. Played a pivotal role in influencing interagency policies on foreign affairs, crisis prevention and corporate risk in
complex operating environments, including money laundering and potential financing of terrorism.
• Served as U.S. principal diplomat and delegate at intergovernmental convenings, leading negotiations that advanced
national interests while promoting multilateral cooperation, good governance and post-conflict recovery.
• Drafted 100+ strategic policy and legal memoranda, translating complex international legal and political information into
actionable insight for State Department leadership.
ADVOCACY DIRECTOR
Open Society Foundations Washington, DC | 1/2023 - 1/2024
• Designed and led strategy for U.S. policy engagement on Asia and the Pacific that covered national security,
environmental and economic issues, managing a $1.8M funding portfolio and building a network of 400+ partners—including
business leaders, policy think tanks and civil society organizations—to drive impact and innovation.
• Spearheaded high-level advocacy campaign with 70+ members of Congress to urge President Biden to address key issues
during major Head-of-State visit, resulting in increased private-public partnership.

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Advocacy Director, Open Society Foundations (contd.)
• Coordinated U.S. stakeholder engagement to drive the first-ever IMF governance reform initiative for Sri Lanka and
Asian markets, aligning advocacy efforts and strategic partnerships to shape global financial policy.
• Forged cross-departmental collaboration during organizational restructuring to establish annual Open Futures Forum,
uniting young women political leaders, corporate stakeholders and policy experts at high-profile global events like the Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the G-20 to drive policy impact and thought leadership.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
International Coalition of Sites of Conscience New York, NY | 7/2020 - 1/2024
• Directed a $12M programming portfolio focused on strengthening civil society’s role in transitional justice, overseeing
strategic partnerships, execution and policy engagement to advance sustainable, locally led impact.
• Led seven cross-functional teams comprising 50+ international experts in legal documentation, investigations, public
health and technology strategy—delivering transformative programming that shaped post-conflict policy formulation and
elevated civil society participation in transitional processes.
• Secured and managed funding for 10+ strategic initiatives, achieving 85% of projected deliverables for high-stakes,
rapid-response investigations in Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine, Tigray (Ethiopia) and Xinjiang (China).
• Launched new initiatives to advance private sector accountability and promote responsible business conduct, with a
focus on governance, transparency and risk mitigation across Africa and Latin America.
• Promoted from Senior Program Manager to Deputy Director within one year, recognized for strategic leadership,
operational excellence and consistent delivery of high-impact global programs.
CONSULTANT
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Remote | 5/2022 - 7/2022
*Completed project during employment with International Coalition of Sites of Conscience
• Conducted stakeholder interviews to support the Government of Zambia in developing its national response to the
Universal Periodic Review, aligning recommendations with international human rights obligations and domestic policy priorities.
CONSULTANT
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Remote | 3/2022 - 4/2022
*Completed project during employment with International Coalition of Sites of Conscience
• Led After Action Review and authored strategic report analyzing the political engagement of the UN and regional actors
during Zambia’s 2021 general elections, providing actionable insights to inform preventive diplomacy in non-UN mission
contexts undergoing electoral processes.
LEGAL CONSULTANT
Physicians for Human Rights Remote | 9/2020 - 11/2020
*Completed project during employment with International Coalition of Sites of Conscience
• Conducted legal research and drafted analysis for the report “Sexual Violence, Trauma, and Neglect: Observations of
Health Care Providers Treating Rohingya Survivors in Refugee Camps in Bangladesh,” highlighting critical intersections of
international law, gender-based violence and access to care in humanitarian settings.
CHIEF OF INVESTIGATIONS
UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan South Sudan | 8/2017 - 7/2020
• Served as de facto Deputy to the Coordinator, overseeing a 13-member multidisciplinary team and a $4M annual budget to
monitor, investigate and report on human rights risks in South Sudan, while supporting evidence collection for future
accountability and justice processes.
• Managed digital investigations and coordinated 40+ fact-finding missions across South Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and
Uganda. Personally conducted one-third of all key witness interviews and preserved critical evidence related to economic crimes
(illicit financial flows, money laundering, natural resource exploitation and arms trafficking), starvation as a means of warfare
and national security detention and torture to inform crisis response and governance reform strategies.
• Promoted from Investigator to Chief of Investigations within two years, recognized for strong leadership and delivering
results in high-pressure environments.

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HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTIGATOR
Public International Law & Policy Group Bangladesh | 3/2018 - 5/2018
*Completed project during mandate break with UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan
• Led high-profile field interviews with displaced Rohingya populations, conducting 10% of 1,000+ interviews among 18-
member investigative team. Findings directly contributed to the U.S. Secretary of State’s official genocide determination,
informing international accountability efforts and shaping multilateral policy responses.
REPORTING OFFICER (Human Rights & Protection Division)
UN Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) Mali | 10/2016 - 7/2017
• Monitored and assessed human rights and security risks in Mali, conducting interviews, analyzing data and gathering
intelligence from sources internal and external to the peacekeeping mission to inform crisis response strategy.
• Produced 60+ strategic reports for the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Security Council and Human Rights
Council, offering actionable recommendations to support stabilization efforts in the country and wider Sahel region.
HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER/CONSULTANT (Special Procedures)
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Switzerland | 3/2016 - 7/2016
• Provided strategic counsel to the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, consulting with trade, labor
and migration experts to assess the intersection of economic policy and human rights.
• Developed the UN Human Rights Council report and presentation on the impact of international trade agreements on
migrant rights, shaping global discourse and informing multilateral policy recommendations.
CONSULTANT (Women’s Human Rights & Gender Section)
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Switzerland | 9/2015 - 12/2015
• Conducted a comprehensive review of regional and national legislative reforms on child, early and forced marriage, and
interviewed 30+ key stakeholders (including survivors and UN officials) to assess policy implementation and gaps.
• Authored report on global trends to end child, early and forced marriage across 25 high-prevalence countries, serving as a
foundation for the UN Secretary-General’s report to the General Assembly and shaping international policy discourse.
RESIDENT FELLOW
UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Switzerland | 9/2012 - 2/2015
• Analyzed international conventions on the right to education to design and implement global advocacy campaigns and
programs aimed at promoting inclusive and quality education systems.
• Led management of the Institute’s flagship teacher training diploma program, training 150+ educators across Africa,
Latin America and the Caribbean over two years, while managing the production and dissemination of related publications.
• Authored multi-phase proposals worth $4.3M for girls' education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) in Africa and Asia and the Pacific and early childhood education, selected as agency-wide Education for All initiatives.
Legal & Regulatory
GENERAL COUNSEL (Pro Bono)
Amend.org Remote/Africa| 7/2012 - 6/2017
• Formed legal department as first General Counsel and advised Board of Directors and staff on governance, labor, ethics,
employment, intellectual property, tax and business law.
• Navigated complex legal and regulatory frameworks to establish and expand operations in Tanzania, Kenya and
Mozambique.
• Successfully coordinated the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety, facilitating high-level consultations at the World
Health Organization with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-
General for Road Safety to advance global road safety policies.
FIELD ATTORNEY (Pro-Bono)
Advocates Abroad Remote/Greece | 8/2016 - 10/2016
• Assessed the international response to the humanitarian and migration crisis in Greece by interviewing Syrian,
Palestinian and Afghan refugees to inform policy recommendations.

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Field Attorney, Advocates Abroad (contd.)
• Successfully represented clients in asylum and family reunification cases before the European Asylum Support Office.
• Drafted written submissions that resulted in the Greek Ombudsman opening investigations into human rights
violations imputed to local police.
STAFF ATTORNEY
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP New York, NY | 3/2008 - 9/2012
• Worked with legal teams to advise clients in high-stakes litigation, including trade, intellectual property and regulatory
disputes.
• Managed internal investigations and discovery processes related to fraud, bribery and white-collar crime, coordinating with
regulatory authorities and external vendors to ensure compliance while reducing client expenses.
• Executed human rights and environmental assessments to assist partner with UN investigation into the cholera epidemic
in Haiti linked to peacekeeping operations.
• Conducted research, analyzed evidence and prepared memoranda, contributing to several successful case outcomes,
including securing writ of habeas corpus in landmark Guantanamo detainee litigation.
PARALEGAL/CASE MANAGER
Legal Aid Society Bronx, NY| 7/2002 - 4/2004
• Managed eviction-prevention emergency office in Bronx Housing Court and counseled 1000+ clients, including
refugees, immigrants, older persons, disabled persons, domestic violence survivors, persons with HIV/AIDS and other
marginalized population groups regarding their rights and benefits.
• Interviewed applicants daily, analyzing information and screening clients for intervention into successful strategic
litigation that challenged New York City shelter amounts; drafted motions, prepared affidavits and other submissions, based
upon case analysis.
• Received certificate from local Assemblyman for preventing evictions of local constituents.
EDUCATION
JURIS DOCTOR (JD), Boston University School of Law 8/2004 - 5/2007
Internship with legal resource center to advance post-apartheid land reform - South Africa
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (BSc), Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University 8/1998 - 5/2002
Externship with migrant workers union in trafficking and discrimination - Japan
Other Certifications
POST-GRADUATE DIPLOMA, UNESCO/Open University of Tanzania 12/2013 - 9/2014
Education, Curriculum Design & Development
SELECT LEADERSHIP & AFFILIATIONS
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), National Security Leadership List
Council of Europe, Business and Human Rights for Legal Professionals
National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, Member
Foreign Policy for America, Leadership Circle
International Career Advancement Program
Justice Rapid Response, Expert Roster
CANADEM International Civilian Response Corps
The Spence School, Alumnae Association Board of Directors
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

E
xecutive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
P
ratima Narayan
M
s. Pratima Narayan is a dedicated attorney with 18 years of experience
advancing law, human rights, and corporate accountability. She has built
a career at the intersection of policy, advocacy and investigations,
working to promote justice and strengthen global responses to human
rights violations. Most recently, she served as a Senior Advisor in the
Biden-Harris Administration, providing strategic counsel to the U.S.
Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice at the U.S. Department
of State. In this role, Ms. Narayan helped shape U.S. policy on atrocity
prevention and response, represented American interests in multilateral
diplomatic engagements and worked to advance accountability for mass
atrocities and other human rights violations globally.
P
reviously, as an Advocacy Director at Open Society Foundations, Ms. Narayan led U.S. foreign
policy engagement on Asia and the Pacific, driving initiatives that integrated national security,
human rights, environmental policy and economic reform. Before that, she served as Deputy
Director of the Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation at the International Coalition
of Sites of Conscience, overseeing transitional justice, atrocity prevention, and antidiscrimination
programs in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific and Europe.
An expert in investigations, crisis response and risk management, Ms. Narayan served as Chief of
Investigations for the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, where she
led documentation efforts on a range of human rights violations, including conflict-related sexual
violence, crimes involving children, economic crimes and starvation as a method of warfare. She
was also one of 18 investigators selected globally for a U.S. Department of State inquiry into mass
atrocities in Myanmar. Her career includes leadership roles with the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UNESCO, UNDP and the UN peacekeeping mission
in Mali (MINUSMA).
A Ward 6 resident, Ms. Narayan earned her Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations
from Cornell University and her Juris Doctor from Boston University.

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
______________________________________________________________________________
The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681
To: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: May 4, 2026
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a resolution appointing Pratima Narayan as a member
of the Commission on Human Rights
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced resolution and
found it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not
hesitate to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at
202-727-0872, or me at 202-724-7681.
______________________________
Elizabeth Cavendish