Dr Sebastian Smart

Sebastian is a Research Fellow in Access to Justice, Law and Technology with experience of research on issues related to Human Rights. Of particular interest are topics related to Business and Human Rights, transitional justice, environmental law and human rights and technology. Sebastian is Fellow of Higher Education Academy.

Email: [email protected]

Research Gate

Academia

ORCID

Background

Previously he worked as regional director for the Chilean National Human Rights Institution and lecturer at Universidad Austral de Chile. Sebastian has also worked extensively in non-governmental organizations in Chile, the United Kingdom, and Haiti, focusing on diverse human rights issues, including economic, social, and cultural rights and the impact of digital technology on human rights. Sebastian holds a PhD in Latin American Studies and Human Rights from University College London, as well as an MA in Human Rights from the same institution. He also earned a law degree from Universidad Católica de Chile.

Sebastian's scholarly work has resulted in numerous articles, book chapters, and reports on human rights, with a particular emphasis on business and human rights, transitional justice, and technology.

Sebastian has been visiting scholar at Oxford University and is current fellow on Human Rights and Technology at Harvard Carr Center. He is the author of the books: "Chile and the Interamerican Human Rights System" and "Pinochet's Economic Accomplices: An Unequal Country by Force."

Sebastian's research has received support from the Chilean Government (Fondecyt 11220195), which enables him to study cases of litigation on business and human rights, with a focus on extractive and tech companies. In addition to his academic work, Sebastian plays an active role in human rights policy and advocacy globally. He currently chairs the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions' working group on business and human rights and is a member of the Advisory Network of the Freedom Online Coalition.

Spoken Languages

• English
• Spanish

Research interests

• Human Rights
• Technology and Human Rights
• Latin American Studies
• Business and Human Rights
• Economic, social, and environmental rights

Areas of research supervision

• International Human Rights Law
• Technology and Human Rights
• Business and Human Rights
• Constitutional Law

Qualifications

• PhD, University College of London
• MA in Human Rights, University College of London
• BA of Legal and Social Science and Title in Law, Universidad Católica
• Fellow in Technology and Human Rights, Carr Center, Harvard
• Visiting Scholar, Oxford University, Latin American Center
• Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy
• Critical Studies of Law and Society, CLACSO, Argentina
• Diploma in Decentralisation and Local Development, Universidad Alberto Hurtado
• Diploma in Public Policy and Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, Henry Dunant
• Specialisation in Economic Law, Bachelor & Minor in Cinematography Aesthetics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Memberships, editorial boards

• Research Fellow in Human Rights and Technology, Harvard University
• Global Network for Human Rights and the Environment 
• Advisory Network, Freedom Online Coalition
• Global Business and Human Rights Scholars Association
• Latin American Studies Association

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

• Chilean Mistry of Foreign Affairs. Topic: Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights
• Institute for Human Rights and Business. Topic: Built Environment and Human Rights
• FONDECYT INICIACIÓN – ANID. Topic: Business and Human Rights
• Latin American Centre St Gallen University. Topic: Smart Cities and Human Rights

Selected recent publications

Peer Reviewed Journals

Smart, S. (2023) Expanding and Contracting the UN Guiding Principles: an Analysis of Recent InterAmerican Human Rights Court Decisions, Journal of Human Rights Practice

Coddou, A., Smart, S. & Nogueira (2022), Smart cities y Derechos Humanos, Informe Anual de Derechos Humanos Universidad Diego Portales

Smart, S. (2022). Completing the transitional justice narrative: Review of the book Human rights violations in Latin America reparation and rehabilitation, by E. Lira, M. Cornejo & G. Morales, Eds.]. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000643

Smart, S., Coddou, A. (2022), Closing The Gap Between UNGPs And Online Content Moderation Practices, Revista di direito Internacional, 19 Braz. J. Int'l L. 269 (2022)

Coddou, A. y Smart, S. (2021) Transparency and non-discrimination in the digital welfare State Revista Chilena de Derecho y Tecnología, 10(2), 301-332.

Smart, S. (2020), The political economy of Latin American conflicts over extractivism, Extractive Industries and Society Journal, Volume 7, Issue 2, April 2020, Pages 767-779

Smart, S. and Letelier, A. (2019), Bridging Human Rights and Social Determinants of Health: Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 3-17.

Smart, S. and Burgos V. (2018), Chilean Housing Policy a pendant human rights perspective, Journal of Property, Planning and Environmental Law, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 187-201

Smart, S. (2018) Resistance Against Mining Extractivism in Chile, Critical Planning Journal, Vol. 23, pp. 59-81.

Smart, S. (2017), Cambio de foco en la priorización de casos de la Corte Penal Internacional: Los delitos ambientales, Anuario de Derechos Humanos Universidad de Chile, Vol.13, pp.123- 133.

Books

Bohoslavsky, J.P., Fernández, K. & Smart, S (2022) Inequality by force: The Economic Accomplices to the Chilean Dictatorship,, Rowman and Littlefield, (In Spanish: Un país desigual a la fuerza: Complicidad económica con la dictadura chilena (2018), Santiago: LOM Ediciones.

Fernández, K., Smart, S. & Peña, C. (2017) Chile and the Inter-American Human Rights System, London: University of London Press.

Book Chapters

Bohoslavsky, J. Fernández, K & Smart, S (2022) Yesterday’s Accomplices, Beneficiaries of Today: The Knots of Inequality Tied by the Dictatorship, Social Rights and Chile's Constitutional Moment; Hart Publishing

Smart, S & Fernández, K (2022) Complicity of Companies in Chile’s Current Human Rights Crisis in Payne, L. Pereira, G. y Bernal, L. Economic actors and the Limits of Transitional Justice; Oxford: Oxford University Press

Bohoslavsky, J. Fernández, K & Smart, S (2021) Los cómplices de ayer, los beneficiarios de hoy: El nudo de la desigualdad impuesta por la dictadura en Casla, K (ed.) Derechos Sociales en el proceso constituyente

Coddou, A. & Smart, S. (2020) Procesos constituyentes en la era digital en Hoja en Blanco, Pollera Ediciones

Fernández, K., Smart, S. & Peña, C. (2017) Introduction en Fernandez, K., Smart, S. and Peña, C. (eds.) Chile and the Inter-American Human Rights System conference Proceedings, Londres: University of London Press, pp. 1-20

Fernández, K. & Smart, S. (2018), El gran aporte de Cassese y sus denuncias aún pendientes en Bohoslavsky, J.P., Fernández, K. & Smart, S (eds.) Un país desigual a la fuerza: Complicidad económica con la dictadura chilena, Santiago: LOM Ediciones.

Smart, S. (2018) La política del extractivismo: Origen en dictadura y continuidad en democracia en Bohoslavsky, J.P., Fernández, K. & Smart, S (eds.) Un país desigual a la fuerza: Complicidad económica con la dictadura chilena, Santiago: LOM Ediciones.

Smart, S. (2018), Privatización y represión: dos caras de la misma Moneda en Bohoslavsky, J.P., Fernández, K. & Smart, S (eds.) Un país desigual a la fuerza: Complicidad económica con la dictadura chilena, Santiago: LOM Ediciones.