Neshan Gunasekera

International Lawyer and Educationist

Neshan Gunasekera is an international lawyer, educationist, leadership coach, facilitator and environmentalist from Sri Lanka. He is committed to bring communities together for environmental protection, healing and conservation through the use of intergenerational, holistic and experiential learning.

He is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Lund, Sweden. During his earlier tenures, he has supported and advised several international organizations including the United Nations Agencies and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN. In his last tenure, he provided technical guidance to the United Nations on Peace and Governance during 2016-2022, including bringing together all 14 UN Agencies, Government, private and civil society stakeholders under these themes and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in Sri Lanka.

Neshan is engaged by several international organizations, including as Director of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA), Member, Steering Committee, of the Ecological Law and Governance Association, (ELGA), Co-Chair, Earth Trusteeship Working Group and a Lead Counsel, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions at the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law.

Neshan has supported the work of the World Future Council from its inception in 2007, including as a Policy Advisor to the pioneering work of the Future Justice Commission and supported projects covering a wide array of areas including on the Nuclear-Climate nexus, Crimes Against Future Generations and International Tribunals, Rights of Future Generations and supported the work on the Future Policy Awards. He is currently, Co-Chair of the Peace & Disarmament Commission and the Working Group on the UN Summit of the Future.

In 2020, Neshan was bestowed with The H.E. Judge C.G. Weeramantry International Justice Award for his work for the cause of justice and inclusion of all peoples during and after conflicts, notably in Sri Lanka and the South Asia region through various global, regional and national institutions and his continuing contributions in the areas of peace, conflict transformation and sustainable development.

Neshan is a trained lawyer and educationist with specialized skills in Peacebuilding, Conflict Transformation, International Law – including International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights Law, International Relations, Multilateralism, Public Diplomacy, Preventive Diplomacy, Advocacy, Environmental Conservation, and Leadership. He continues to contribute to several peacebuilding, conflict transformation, environmental conservation and educational projects in various parts of the world. Also, he continues to dedicate his efforts to rebuilding trust with our Earth, through the use of law and application of principles of intergenerational equity and Earth Trusteeship.

Further, he is a passionate sportsman and involves himself in sports administration and the promoting the spirit of sports. He supports various individuals to take up sports and continue in sports, including persons with disability and uses sports as a tool for integration and leadership. Neshan is married to Bridgette Kennedy and they have a son, Aryesh.

He is a Councillor of the World Future Council.