Katharina Rall

Katharina Rall is a Senior Researcher in the Environment and Human Rights Division at Human Rights Watch. Her work focuses on human rights violations related to the climate crisis and other environmental justice issues. She is a specialist in the right to a healthy environment and has carried out extensive research and advocacy in countries including South Africa, Canada, Kosovo, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Malawi, and Turkey. Katharina also led the advocacy for Human Rights Watch at UN climate negotiations.

Before joining Human Rights Watch, she researched economic, social, and cultural rights with the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University School of Law. Her prior experience also includes collaborating with human rights lawyers and communities affected by extractive industries, litigation and advocacy seeking accountability from the UN for its role in Haiti’s cholera outbreak and advising members of the German Parliament on human rights and international law issues.

Katharina has authored numerous Human Rights Watch reports, she has been published in peer-reviewed journals on environment and human rights, and has written for publications including Le Monde, Mail & Guardian, CNN and Foreign Policy in Focus. She also teaches economic, social, cultural and environmental rights at Science Po. Katharina holds a law degree from the University of Goettingen School of Law and graduated from New York University School of Law with an LL.M in International Legal Studies. Katharina speaks English, German, French and Spanish.