Guna Subramaniam
Asia Regional Manager, Migrant Workers Programme, IHRB
Expertise
Guna has extensive experience spanning almost 20 years in the nonprofit sector. This includes building partnerships with multiple stakeholders in business and human rights, managing investigations in wildlife trafficking, and technical expertise in the performing arts.
Current work
As Southeast Asia Advisor, Guna coordinates the regional Migrant Workers and Shipping programmes. This includes developing the Southeast Asia Chapter of the Leadership Group for Responsible Recruitment, with liaison and relationship-building with businesses, national governments, civil society organisations, and their participation in regional multi-stakeholder initiatives, roundtables and the Global Forum for Responsible Recruitment.
Before IHRB
Guna has a varied background. He was an audio engineer directing sound design for film, music and theatre. As a filmmaker, he produced videos for development and environmental organizations. Managing projects on wildlife conservation, he coordinated investigations on wildlife trafficking with NGOs and law enforcement agencies across the Asia Pacific and Central Africa. In Australia, he led capacity development work with asylum seekers and refugees, and a project to gather service providers for community based and civil society led humanitarian resettlement programs.
Prior to joining IHRB, Guna was at Issara Institute where he conducted research on forced labour and human trafficking in fishing vessels. He also led its Ethical Recruitment pilot programme, facilitating collaborative meetings between recruitment agencies and supply chain businesses in the apparel, seafood and agriculture sectors.
Guna has a Masters in International Community Development from Victoria University. He received an ‘Outstanding Achievement’ award for his research thesis which focused on gaps and blindspots of stakeholders involved in addressing human trafficking and forced labour in the fisheries sector.
