How can investors engage with companies to prevent and address human rights abuses? RIAA's Human Rights Working Group is an initiative to support members in their stewardship responsibilities respecting human rights in their business operations and their portfolio of companies.
The Human Rights Working Group is a way for RIAA members to come together in the interests of building members’ understanding and capabilities for assessing and respecting human rights and mitigating human risks in investment; facilitating the sharing of leading practice knowledge and resources pertaining to human rights and investment decision-making and engagement; and designing and delivering significant human rights research, implementation and advocacy opportunities as relevant, through collaborating with other RIAA working groups and industry forums.
For the third Human Rights Working Group meeting for 2025, we were pleased to be joined by Sireen Hajj, Director of Investor Outreach at US SIF: The Sustainable Investment Forum and Serena Grant, Director of Business and Human Rights at Walk Free. Sireen shared insights on the impact of the current US context on human rights, including what Australia and New Zealand investors can do. Serena shared her insights on how the recent USAID funding cuts to NGOs are affecting efforts to combat modern slavery, the resulting implications for global supply chains, and the potential role investors can play in addressing these challenges.
Following Serena's presentation, we shared recent industry and subgroup updates on digital tech and human rights, modern slavery, StockWatch updates and RIAA's policy and advocacy.
The meeting closed with a reflection on the progress of the current work plan and to kick off the renewal process for a 2026 work plan.
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Serena is a lawyer and human rights advocate who leads Walk Free’s work engaging the private sector to end modern slavery. Serena works alongside businesses, investors and governments to improve supply chain practices and strengthen laws. This includes overseeing Walk Free’s role as Secretariat of the Bali Process Government and Business Forum, partnerships with Investors Against Slavery and Trafficking and Walk Free’s impact investing portfolio. Serena also leads Minderoo’s portfolio focused on women’s economic empowerment. This work focuses on driving employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women and girls. Prior to joining Minderoo, Serena was a Director at the Thomson Reuters Foundation and worked as a corporate lawyer at international firms in Tokyo, Sydney and London.
Sireen Hajj is the Director of Investor Outreach at US SIF: TheSustainable Investment Forum. In this role, she is responsible for growingand deepening US SIF's investor network, leveraging her extensive experience inglobal capital markets and sustainability. Before joining US SIF, Sireen servedas an Associate Director at Morningstar's Sustainalytics. There, she waspart of the Global Client Relations team, managing customer experience andbusiness development for strategic institutional clients. Sireen has a capitalmarkets background working as a researcher and strategist at MizuhoSecurities and Crédit Agricole CIB.
Sireen's academic background includes an MBAfrom FordhamUniversity and a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Anthropology fromthe American University of Beirut
