MISS SITI AISYA BINTI ABDUL RAHMAN

Aisya is a former Legal Adviser at the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) and Head of Law Division at Malaysia’s national human rights institution, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). For over a decade, she has worked with diverse stakeholders at all levels to support and promote respect for the rule of law, internationally and domestically.

Aisya has provided legal analysis and technical guidance to decisionmakers and policymakers, particularly from/based in Asia, in many areas of international humanitarian law including nuclear weapons, cyber warfare, counterterrorism, and cultural property protection. She has facilitated high-level humanitarian dialogues; delivered humanitarian assistance to detainees; translated treaties; developed information tools; and helped published communication materials for various audiences.    

Aisya has actively participated in regional treaty and national legislative processes, such as in drafting the ASEAN Declaration on Children in the context of Migration and Malaysian laws on sexual harassment and gender equality. Within 15 months at SUHAKAM, she coordinated 15 policy briefs and papers on a range of human rights issues and for rights-based law reforms.

Aisya has also assisted rule of law, human rights, transitional justice, and post-conflict development projects in/on Colombia, Ukraine, Scotland, and South Sudan. Within her first four years of practice at the Malaysian Bar, Aisya appeared as counsel in over 15 reported cases at Malaysia’s highest courts, including a landmark workplace sexual harassment case.