Megan L. Manion

Megan L. Manion joined ICCT as a Visiting Fellow under the Rule of Law Responses to Terrorism Programme in September 2022 and completed her visiting fellowship in October 2022. Manion is a human rights lawyer and currently serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the Human Rights Center at the University of Minnesota Law School and Lecturer-in-Law (Spring 2022). She concurrently serves as Senior Legal Advisor to the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. Megan leads the engagement of the Special Rapporteur with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, engagement with the United Nations Security Council and the provision of technical assistance to UN Member States and UN entities on promoting and protecting human rights in counter-terrorism.

The focus of her research, policy, and advocacy work for the Special Rapporteur includes the human rights and rule of law implications of United Nations counter-terrorism targeted sanctions, the impact of counter-terrorism on women's rights and the intersection of counter-terrorism and the women, peace and security agendas, as well as the interface of the UN counter-terrorism architecture with broader UN agendas. With the Special Rapporteur, she is leading the forthcoming Global Study on the Impact of Counter-Terrorism Measures on Civic Space and Civil Society (2023).

Her professional background includes work at the intersection of gender, international human rights, and humanitarian law, concentrating on justice and security issues. She has served in various roles at the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), in the field and headquarters.  Most recently, she served as Specialist on Justice & Security with UN Women based in Kabul, Afghanistan and Policy Analyst in UN Women Headquarters focusing on preventing violent extremism, counterterrorism, and transitional justice.