Olga Martin-Ortega

Professor Olga Martin-Ortega Law Degree (Spain), LLM, PhD

Professor of International Law

Dr Olga Martin-Ortega is Professor of International Law at the School of Law and Criminology. She leads the Business, Human Rights and Environment Research Group and undertakes research on multinational enterprises and human rights, public procurement and human rights, post-conflict reconstruction and transitional justice (see research interests).

Before joining Greenwich, she was Senior Research Fellow at the Centre on Human Rights in Conflict (CHRC), School of Law, University of East London. From 2010 she was also member of the management team at the Centre. Before joining the University of East London, she was a lecturer in law at Napier University (Edinburgh), where she taught European Law. From 2001–05 she worked at the University of Jaen where she was a lecturer in Law and undertook her PhD, funded by a prestigious grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education on formation and training of researchers and lecturers.

Professor Martin-Ortega is a member of the Board of Trustees of Electronics Watch and The Corporate Justice Coalition. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the London Universities Purchasing Consortium and the Steering Committee of the International Learning Lab on Procurement and Human Rights. She has worked with the UK Home Office Modern Slavery Prevention Unit, the Local Government Association, NHS Commercial Solutions, Unison, and the international organisations OSCE and International Labour Organisation and numerous civil society organisations. She conducts training and capacity building for public buyers in the UK and internationally on their roles and responsibilities towards human rights in their supply chain and how to develop human rights due diligence to prevent, mitigate and remediate human rights abuses.

She hosts the podcast The Female Professoriate and co-hosts the podcast The Rights of Others, with Seema Joshi and Fakhar Raza.

Law

Law

Responsibilities within the university
  • Leader, Business, Human Rights and the Environment Research Group
  • Director of Research and Enterprise, School of Law and Criminology
  • Programme Leader, Postgraduate Research Degrees, School of Law and Criminology
  • School of Law and Criminology representative, Faculty Research and Enterprise Committee
  • UoA18 REF Panel member, School of Law and Criminology
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion University REF Panel member
  • Mentor in the Aurora Programme
  • Coordinator of the Female Professoriate

Recognition
  • Member of the Transparency in Supply Chains Modern Slavery Strategy and Implementation Group of the Home Office Modern Slavery Prevention Unit
  • Member of the Board of Trustees and Advisory Group of Electronics Watch
  • Member of the Board of Trustees of The Corporate Justice Coalition
  • Member of the Board of Directors of the London Universities Purchasing Consortium
  • Member of the Steering Committee of the International Learning Lab on Procurement and Human Rights
  • Member of the Executive Committee of the Business, Conflict and Human Rights Network
  • Consultant for the European Parliament, OSCE, ILO, Fair Trade Advocacy Office and others
  • Former member of the Academic Commission advising the Spanish Government of the drafting of the Spanish National Implementation Plan on Business and Human Rights
  • Founder and former Chair of the Board of the Interest Group on Business and Human Rights, European Society of International Law
  • Founder and former member of the Executive Committee of the London Transitional Justice Network
  • Former editor of the International Journal of Human Rights
  • Former member of the Advisory Board of the Revista de Estudios Juridicos (Journal of Legal Studies, Spain)

Research / Scholarly interests

Professor Martin-Ortega’s main research areas are in the field of Public International Law. In particular she researches on business and human rights, sustainable public procurement, post-conflict reconstruction, transitional justice and international criminal law. In the area of business and human rights her research has considered the roles and responsibilities of multinational corporations, with regards to the protection and respect of human rights and the tools available in International law to hold them to account when they participate in human rights violations. She has worked extensively on human rights in global supply chains, with specific focus on the electronics industry and on the development of transparency and human rights due diligence standards. Her latest research focuses on the roles and responsibilities of public buyers with regards to human rights in public supply chains. In the context of this work she advices public buyers, local authorities, governmental bodies and international organisations.

Professor Martin-Ortega’s research has also included work on post-conflict reconstruction and justice after mass atrocities committed during armed conflicts. She has focused on the relationship between peacebuilding, the rule of law and transitional justice. In particular she has led a project considering the role of hybrid tribunals in prosecuting war crimes after conflict and their contribution to the rebuilding of the rule of law funded by the British Academy.  She has also participated in projects on peacebuilding and transitional justice, with special emphasis on Africa (funded by British Academy Large Grant; US Institute for Peace; EU VII Framework Project Collaborative Grant), and conducted research on impunity and memory in Spain (funded by Spanish Ministry of Research and Innovation and Catalan Government). She is currently working with Professor Steven Haines on training military personnel on the protection of education during conflict and dissemination of the Safe Schools Declaration.

Key funded projects

Current key funded projects

DATUM- Small Data Mining- Co-Principal Investigator, Innovate UK (£228,900)

DATUM is a research and development project of a collaborative multi-player locative game experience for Shopping Centres. The game aims to promote ethical consumption by supporting the re-opening of sustainable commerce through audio and augmented reality (AR). It explores and engages players in mindful consumption behaviours through small data mining activities following prompts on their mobile devise. The focus of the game is encouraging ethical consumer behaviour through nudging the consumer part of corporate human rights due diligence and technology as a tool to modify behavioural patterns.

DATUM is created and produced by ZU-UK, body\>data\>space and University of Greenwich (BHRE, LETS Lab and CLEI – Co-creating Liveness in Embodied Immersion).

SAPIENS -Sustainability and Procurement in International, European, and National Systems- Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Network (ITN) (2021-2025 (€3.9 million). 

The objective of SAPIENS is to foster interdisciplinary research into the evolving use of public procurement to address the social and environmental challenges of the 21st century. It aims to create a significantly increased European knowledge base and research capacity on the law, the economics and the business sciences of sustainable public procurement, thus helping Europe in addressing social and environmental challenges. At the heart of the project are 15 PhD projects on various multidisciplinary aspects of Sustainable Public Procurement linked to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

You can find out more about SAPIENS here.

Recent publications

Article

Martin-Ortega, Olga , Trusgnach, Martina, Berman, Cindy (2024), Push, pull, dance: approaches to address labour abuse in public health supply chains. SAGE. In: , , , . SAGE, Journal of Industrial Relations . pp. 1-27 ISSN: 0022-1856 (Print), 1472-9296 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/00221856241242222).

Trusgnach, Martina , Martin-Ortega, Olga, Berman, Cindy (2024), Towards worker-driven remedy: advancing human and labour rights in global supply chains. SlaveFreeToday. In: , , , . SlaveFreeToday, Journal of Modern Slavery: A Multidisciplinary Exploration of Human Trafficking Solutions, 9 (1) . pp. 152-167 2574-9897 (Online) (doi: https://slavefreetoday.org/journal_of_modern_slavery/v9i1a8-towards-worker-driven-remedy-advancing-human-and-labour-rights-in-global-supply-chains.pdf).

Dehbi, Fatimazahra and , Martin-Ortega, Olga (2023), An integrated approach to corporate due diligence from a human rights, environmental, and TWAIL perspective. Wiley. In: , , , . Wiley, Regulation and Governance ISSN: 1748-5983 (Print), 1748-5991 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/rego.12538) NB Item availability restricted.

Martin-Ortega, Olga , Dehbi, Fatimazahra, Nelson, Valerie, Pillay, Renginee (2022), Towards a business, Human Rights and the environment framework. MDPI. In: , , , . MDPI, Sustainability, 14: 6596 (11) ISSN: 2071-1050 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116596).

Chan, Jenny , Distelhorst, Greg, Kessler, Dimitri, Lee, Joonkoo , Martin-Ortega, Olga , Pawlicki, Peter , Selden, Mark , Selwyn, Benjamin (2021), After the Foxconn suicides in China: a roundtable on labor, the state and civil society in global electronics. SAGE. In: , , , . SAGE, Critical Sociology, 48 (2) . pp. 211-233 ISSN: 0896-9205 (Print), 1569-1632 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/08969205211013442).

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , Hoekstra, Johanna (2019), Reporting as a means to protect and promote human rights? The EU non-financial reporting directive. Sweet and Maxwell. In: , , , . Sweet and Maxwell, European Law Review, 44 (4) . pp. 622-644 ISSN: 0307-5400 (Print), (doi: ).

Outhwaite, Opi and , Martin-Ortega, Olga (2019), Worker-driven monitoring – redefining supply chain monitoring to improve labour rights in global supply chains. SAGE. In: , , , . SAGE, Competition & Change, 23 (4) . pp. 378-396 ISSN: 1024-5294 (Print), 1477-2221 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1024529419865690).

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , (2018), Public procurement as a tool for the protection and promotion of human rights: a study of collaboration, due diligence and leverage in the electronics industry. Cambridge University Press. In: , , , . Cambridge University Press, Business and Human Rights Journal, 3 (1) ISSN: 2057-0198 (Print), 2057-0201 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/bhj.2017.35).

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , O'Brien, Claire Methven (2017), Advancing respect for labour rights globally through public procurement. Cogiato Press. In: , , , . Cogiato Press, Politics and Governance, 5 (4) . pp. 69-79 2183-2463 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v5i4.1073).

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , (2017), Human rights risks in global supply chains: Applying the UK Modern Slavery Act to the public sector. Wiley. In: , , , . Wiley, Global Policy, 8 (4) . pp. 512-521 ISSN: 1758-5880 (Print), 1758-5899 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12501).

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , Alija Fernandez, Rosa Ana (2017), Silence and the right to justice: Confronting impunity in Spain. Taylor and Francis Online. In: , , , . Taylor and Francis Online, The International Journal of Human Rights, 21 (5) . pp. 531-549 ISSN: 1364-2987 (Print), 1744-053X (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2017.1307827).

Outhwaite, Opi and , Martin-Ortega, Olga (2016), Human rights in global supply chains: Corporate social responsibility and public procurement in the European Union. Intersentia. In: , , , . Intersentia, Human Rights and International Legal Discourse, 10 (1) . pp. 41-70 ISSN: 1783-7014 (Print), (doi: https://www.hrild.org/en/journal/hrild/10-1/human-rights-in-global-supply-chains-corporate-social-responsibility-and-public-procurement-in-the-e/index.html#page/41/search/).

Audio

Lopes Ramos, Jorge , Maravala, Persis-Jadé, Guillery, Kesia, Pires, Carlos Eduardo , Martin-Ortega, Olga , Karanasiou, Argyro (2022), RADIO GHOST. In: , , , . , (1st) (doi: https://zu-uk.com/project/radio-ghost/) NB Item availability restricted.

Book

Wallace, Rebecca M. M. and , Martin-Ortega, Olga (2020), International Law. Sweet and Maxwell. In: , , , . Sweet and Maxwell, London (9th) . ISBN: 9780414070790 (doi: https://www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk/Catalogue/ProductDetails.aspx?recordid=10580&searchorigin=International+Law&productid=42612868).

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , Methven O'Brien, Claire (2019), Public Procurement and Human Rights Opportunities, Risks and Dilemmas for the State as Buyer. Edward Elgar. In: , , , . Edward Elgar, . ISBN: 9781788116305 (doi: ) NB Item availability restricted.

Sriram, Chandra , Martin-Ortega, Olga, Herman, Johanna (2017), War, Conflict and Human Rights: Theory and Practice. Routledge. In: , , , . Routledge, Oxon (3rd) . ISBN: 9781138234291 (doi: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315277523).

Book section

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , (2024), Chapter 10. Human rights violations in global supply chains: acknowledging and addressing systemic abuses. Brill/Nijhoff - Koninklijke Brill BV. In: , , In: Md Jahid Hossain Bhuiyan, M Rafiqul Islam (eds.), Business, Human Rights and Sustainble Development. Brill/Nijhoff - Koninklijke Brill BV, Leiden, The Netherlands , 146 (1st) . pp. 247-274 . ISBN: 9789004530935; 978900430942 (doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004530942_011).

Trevino Lozano, Laura and , Martin-Ortega, Olga (2023), Sustainable public procurement of infrastructure and human rights: linkages and gaps. Edward Elgar. In: , , In: Olga Martin-Ortega, Laura Trevino Lozano (eds.), Sustainable Public Procurement of Infrastructure and Human Rights. Beyond Building Green. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham and Masachussetts (1st) . pp. 2-27 . ISBN: 9781802205503; 9781802205510 (doi: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802205510.00011).

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , Trusgnach, Martina (2023), Buying beyond our borders: public procurement and labour rights in global supply chains. Bloomsbury Publishing - Hart Publishing. In: , , In: Brian Langille, Anne Trebilcock (eds.), Social Justice and the World of Work: Possible Global Futures. Essays in Honour of Francis Maupain. Bloomsbury Publishing - Hart Publishing, Dublin; Oxford; London; New York; New Delhi; Sydney (1st) . pp. 273-283 . ISBN: 9781509961269; 9781509961276; 9781509961252 (doi: ) NB Item availability restricted.

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , (2022), Transparency and human rights in global supply chains: from corporate-led disclosure to a right to know. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. In: , , In: Axel Marx, Geert Van Calster, Jean Monnet, Jan Wouters, Kari Otteburn, Diana Lica (eds.), Research Handbook on Global Governance, Business and Human Rights. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, Cheltenham; Massachusetts (1st) . pp. 100-120 . ISBN: 9781788979832 (doi: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788979832.00012) NB Item availability restricted.

Alija-Fernandez, Rosa Ana and , Martin-Ortega, Olga (2021), Reconciliation without justice? Victims' rights and the challenges of imposed closure in Spain. Routledge. In: , , In: Rachel Kerr, Henry Redwood, James Gow (eds.), Reconciliation after War: Historical Perspectives on Transitional Justice. Routledge, (1st) . pp. 272-294 . ISBN: 9780367346553 (doi: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429345395-ch15/reconciliation-without-justice-victims-rights-challenges-imposed-closure-spain-rosa-ana-alija-fern%C3%A1ndez-olga-martin-ortega?context=ubx&refId=dfc0de57-7f5c-4d57-9fdf-0094f7285bbc).

Methven Obrien, Claire and , Martin-Ortega, Olga (2020), Public procurement and the erosion of the EU social model: Outline of a Polanyian perspective and the emerging regulatory role of human rights. Thomson Reuters. In: , , In: MartÍn Rodríguez Pablo Jesús, Hinojosa MartÍn Luis Miguel (eds.), International Markets Regulation and the Erosion of the European Political and Social Model. Thomson Reuters, Madrid . pp. 239-259 . ISBN: 9788491976028 (doi: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3437753).

Methven O'Brien, Claire and , Martin-Ortega, Olga (2019), Discretion, divergence, paradox: Public and private supply chain standards on human rights. Hart Publishing. In: , , In: Sanja Bogojevic, Xavier Groussot, Jorgen Hettne (eds.), Discretion in EU Public Procurement Law. Hart Publishing, Oxford, UK (1st) . pp. 189-210 . ISBN: 9781509919482 (doi: https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/discretion-in-eu-public-procurement-law/ch9-discretion-divergence-paradox-public-and-private-supply-chain-standards-on-human-rights?from=search) NB Item availability restricted.

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , (2018), Due diligence, reporting and transparency in supply chains: The United Kingdom Modern Slavery Act. Routledge. In: , , In: Angelica Bonfanti (ed.), Business and Human Rights in Europe: International Law Challenges. Routledge, (1st) . pp. 110-121 . ISBN: 9781138484672 (doi: ) NB Item availability restricted.

Alija-Fernández, Rosa Ana and , Martin-Ortega, Olga (2018), Franco’s victims in Spain: the long road towards justice and recognition. Palgrave Macmillan. In: , , In: Vincent Druliolle, Roddy Bret (eds.), The Politics of Victimhood in Post-Conflict Societies: Comparative and Analytical Perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham . pp. 53-76 . ISBN: 9783319702018 (doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70202-5_3).

Edited book

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , Trevino Lozano, Laura (2023), Sustainable public procurement of infrastructure and human rights beyond building green. Beyond building green corporations, globalisation and the Law series. Edward Elgar. In: , , , . Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK; and Northampton, Massachusetts, USA (1st) . ISBN: 9781802205503; 9781802205510 (doi: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802205510).

Monograph

Methven O'Brien, Claire , Martin-Ortega, Olga, European Parliament, Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union (2022), Commission proposal on corporate sustainability due diligence: analysis from a human rights perspective. Publications Office European Union - Think Tank European Parliament. In: , , , . Publications Office European Union - Think Tank European Parliament, Brussels (1st) (doi: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2861/60402).

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , (2021), Combating trafficking in human beings and labour exploitation in supply chains - Guidance for OSCE procurement. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In: , , , . Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Vienna, Austria (1st) (doi: https://www.osce.org/cthb/502383).

Lin, Kevin , Foxvog, Liana, Martin-Ortega, Olga, Outhwaite, Opi (2018), Time for a Reboot: Monitoring in China's Electronics Industry. International Labor Rights Forum. In: , , , . International Labor Rights Forum, (doi: https://laborrights.org/publications/time-reboot-monitoring-chinas-electronics-industry).

Other

Trevino Lozano, Laura and , Martin-Ortega, Olga (2020), Public procurement during Covid-19 in Latin America: challenges, responses and next steps forward. International Learning Lab on Procurement and Human Rights. In: , , , . International Learning Lab on Procurement and Human Rights, International Learning Lab on Procurement and Human Rights Blog (International Learning Lab on Procurement and Human Rights Blog) (doi: https://www.hrprocurementlab.org/blog/public-procurement-during-covid-19-in-latin-america-challenges-responses-and-next-steps-forward/).

Martin-Ortega, Olga and , Methven O'Brien, Claire (2020), Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence: options of monitoring, enforcing and remedy under the future EU legislation. European Journal of International Law. In: , , , . European Journal of International Law, EJIL:Tallk! (doi: https://www.ejiltalk.org/mandatory-human-rights-due-diligence-options-of-monitoring-enforcing-and-remedy-under-the-future-eu-legislation/) NB Item availability restricted.

Methven O'Brien, Claire , Martin-Ortega, Olga, European Parliament, DROI Subcommittee (2020), EU Human Rights Due Diligence Legislation: Monitoring, Enforcement and Access to Justice for Victims. DROI- European Parliament. In: , , , . DROI- European Parliament, Brussels (doi: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EXPO_BRI(2020)603505).

Alejandro, Gonzales , Overeen, Pauline, Martin-Ortega, Olga, Good Electronics Network , SOMO , Business, Human Rights Environment Research Group (BHRE) (2020), Beyond corporate transparency: The right to know in the electronics industry. Good Electronics Network. In: , , , . Good Electronics Network, Amsterdam (1st ed.) (doi: https://goodelectronics.org/the-right-to-know-in-the-electronics-industry/).

Martin-Ortega, Olga , Gorna, Anna, Islam, Rahima (2018), UK Modern Slavery Act transparency in supply chains: reporting by local authorities. BHRE. In: , , , . BHRE, London (BHRE Research Series, Report no. 2. March 2018) (doi: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56e9723a40261dbb18ccd338/t/5aaa927e8165f531655db55e/1521128066517/Local+Authorities+Report+2018-+Final+revised.pdf).

Working paper

Outhwaite, Opi and , Martin-Ortega, Olga (2017), Monitoring Human Rights in Global Supply Chains. Insights and policy recommendations for Civil Society, Global Brands and Academics. BHRE Policy Papers. In: , , , . BHRE Policy Papers, (doi: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.12656.46088).

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