Ana Žbona

Ana Žbona serves as Co-Head of the Civic Freedoms and Human Rights Defenders Programme at the Business & Human Rights Centre, where she has been leading this area for the past decade. During this time, she has contributed to key global initiatives, holding leadership roles with the Alliance for Land, Indigenous and Environmental Defenders (ALLIED) and Zero Tolerance Initiative, and has represented the Centre at international fora including the UN Human Rights Council, Climate Week and UN Fora on Business and Human Rights. Before joining the Centre, Ana worked in various advocacy, policy, community engagement, project and programme management roles in Europe, North America and Latin America. Ana holds a Master’s degree in human Rights Law and Democratisation (from the European Interuniversity Centre on Human Rights).  Her areas of expertise include global advocacy for civic freedoms, protection of human rights defenders, strategic coalition‑building with frontline and international partners, and the intersection between civic freedoms and participation rights and the just energy transition, with a particular focus on Indigenous Peoples rights.