Virginia Dandan is the UN Human Rights Council’s independent expert on human rights and international solidarity, appointed to develop a draft declaration on the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity.
Dandan served on the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for 20 years and chaired the committee from 1999 to 2007. With extensive experience in human rights work on the ground, she has provided technical assistance on UN treaty body reporting as well as training on economic, social and cultural rights, human rights in development, human rights education and training, the rights of indigenous peoples, cultural rights, gender issues, and sustainable development.
Previously a faculty member and dean at the Philippines College of Fine Arts, Dandan holds a PhD in anthropology from the University of the Philippines.