Matthew Coghlan

Matthew Coghlan works with Walk Free, one of the largest global organisations working on eradicating modern slavery in all forms. They do this through research, policy development and engagement with governments and the private sector, through the supply chain. Matthew is a senior financial sector engagement manager.

Matthew was born in Melbourne and studied international law and human rights at Melbourne University and international politics at Australian National University, focusing on Southeast Asian politics.

His interest in Southeast Asian politics led him to working in Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore and other countries in the region for over 15 years – with NGOs, UN agencies and universities. His roles covered international trade and investment, trade justice, the rule of law, good governance, access to justice, human rights, and anti-corruption.

Matthew first engaged with DTP’s work as a trainer for its trade and human rights program in Cambodia in 2005. He was leading an international trade campaign in Cambodia on intellectual property rights and access to medicine for Oxfam America at the time.

Matthew came back to provide advice and train on DTP’s programs on Business and Human Rights in particular, and programs with Indigenous peoples and migrant workers where the responsibilities and accountabilities of business are major issues. These programs included dialogues with business and diplomats in the UAE, and Indigenous and environmental human rights defenders in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Matthew is an expert in policy, advocacy, and project management and his long experience as a practitioner in different roles and organisations has been particularly valuable – in program design and delivery.

Matthew is always happy to donate his time pro bono as he believes DTP plays a vital role in the Asia-Pacific region.

“DTP fills an important gap of providing dedicated human rights training to leaders, communities, activists, advocates who may not have that knowledge or may not have the opportunity to apply the knowledge. From DTP training, they can not only learn that information but also practice using it in a safe environment, so I think that is a vital function.”

Matthew provides training on how to use the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises and related frameworks like the roundtable on sustainable palm oil (RSPO).

Matthew has contributed to the development of DTP’s training – and its emphasis on how systems of accountability can be accessed and made to work to address human rights harms and injustice.

“We were interested in supporting trainees in using the UN system more effectively, in particular the UN Special Procedures, which were designed to be more immediate and flexible than other UN accountability mechanisms. We received some submissions to special procedures, which we then reviewed and provided notes in response to strengthening those submissions. I know that DTP is planning to organize training on the UN Special Procedures, and these are great examples of DTP turning training into actual actions.”