international law

human rights

the environment

Practices

  • Human Rights Impacts Assessments (HRIAs) and preliminary risk screenings. Analysis/advice on human rights obligations. Design and implementation of Environmental and Social Safeguards Frameworks, mitigation strategies, and monitoring systems. Facilitation of rightsholder engagement and rightsholder-led HRIAs. Rights-based advocacy and strategic planning.

  • Design and implementation of FPIC processes, alongside community partners. Facilitation of risk screening, analysis, and dialogue integral to the process. Assistance with benefit-sharing agreements, consent agreements, monitoring plans, and other process outputs.

  • New mechanism design and gap assessment for existing mechanisms. Facilitation of constructive community engagement with mechanisms, as liaison or ombudsperson. Assistance with conflict resolution dialogue and mediation processes. See also our Accountability Mechanisms practice.

  • Design and facilitation of public fact-finding processes. Independent reviews and internal investigations. Interviewing, evidence collection, documentation, analysis, and compelling report-writing. Crisis communications and media liaison work when appropriate.

  • Assistance in understanding the new paradigm of collective rights presented by the UNDRIP. Specific assistance to organizations to reform and adapt policies and develop new guidance compatible with the UNDRIP. Assistance to communities to fully understand and protect their UNDRIP rights. Workshops, trainings, briefing memos, other research.

  • Strategic consulting for communities on the options for ILK and cultural property protection. Assistance with underlying research, documentation, registration, and monitoring needs. Facilitation of rematriation efforts. Assistance to organizations on safeguards to avoid cultural rights infringement.

  • Strategic consulting to communities on accountability mechanisms potentially available for their claims, through the UN, the OECD, regional bodies, institutional systems, and more. Representation in select accountability cases. Strategic advice on human rights litigation in select cases.

  • Select representation of human rights defenders facing assaults, criminal charges, retaliatory lawsuits, and other harassment and intimidation triggered by their advocacy. Assistance to organizations concerning their bystander obligations. Assistance drawing attention to this important issue.

  • Strategic counseling and select representation on complex issues of international law, provided to communities and organizations in line with our mission to promote a more equitable and inclusive international legal discourse.

About

Aaron Marr Page started Forum Nobis in 2010 to offer legal representation and rights-based strategic consulting directly to Indigenous peoples, local communities, and community-based rights organizations.

Since 2018, Forum Nobis has also worked with select international non-profits, foundations, and strategic benefit corporations to help them meet their responsibility to respect human rights.

Aaron also teaches human rights law at the University of Iowa College of Law and maintains an active law practice focusing on criminal defense of protestors and human rights defenders, civil rights (race and gender discrimination), and corporate accountability.

Contact

Forum Nobis is a boutique firm and must be very selective about taking on new engagements. Even where we cannot take on a matter, however, we aim to be available to communities and organizations to discuss options generally, make referrals, and contribute to broader coalition efforts.

Please feel free to get in touch using this form or contact us directly at info@forumnobis.com or +1 202 618 2218.