Research Interests
- Human Rights
- Gender-based approaches to (sustainable) development
- Policy-making and Law
- United Nations human rights system
- Protection of minorities
- Representation and elections
Slava (Veaceslav) Balan is a human rights researcher and practitioner, originally from Moldova, now settled in Canada. In 2008-2014 and 2015-2018 Slava worked with the United Nations in Moldova, including for three years as national coordinator of the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). In 2005-2008 Slava served as mobilization and campaigns coordinator with Amnesty International Moldova, and in 2004-2007 Slava lectured at the Moldovan Academy of Public Administration.
Slava holds Master’s degree in Comparative Law from McGill University in Canada (2015), another Master’s degree in Comparative Constitutional Law from the Central European University (2002), and an equivalent of Bachelor in Law degree from the Moldova State University (2000).
In present Slava pursues a PhD in Law program at the University of Ottawa, under the guidance of Prof. John Packer, Director of the University of Ottawa Human Rights Research and Education Center. Slava’s PhD project focuses on human rights-based approach (HRBA) to international, national and local development, policy and law-making.
Since September 2020 Slava serves as Teaching Assistant for the uOttawa online course on Human Rights and Governance: The Human Rights Based Approach to Policy, Law and Development.
As part-time international consultant, Slava contributes to the work of UN Women Ukraine on applying human rights and gender-based approach to local development and decentralization reform, with Freedom House on its annual Freedom in the World report, as well as with community-based and human rights NGOs from Moldova.
Slava collaborates with the University of Ottawa Human Rights Research and Education Centre, McGill Center for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism, and Moldovan Equality Council.