Archana Kotecha

Archana is a UK qualified barrister, CEDR accredited mediator, former corporate lawyer, and regional expert on human trafficking and forced labour issues, who is redefining the standard for responsible conduct in the private sector and specifically in supply chain business. She has over 15 years of experience advising UN agencies (IOM, ILO, and UNICEF), ASEAN bodies, Governments, businesses, civil society groups, and legal practitioners across Asia. The rights-holder perspective is central in her legal approach, which seeks creative solutions within the context of commercial requirements and complex regulatory challenges.
The Remedy Project and ReAct Foundation are sister organisations founded and headed by Archana to learn through dynamic stakeholder engagement, test creative frameworks for worker-protection and to push new industry benchmarks for responsible business conduct.
Archana has been awarded the Emily Ashurst Anti-Slavery Award for Leadership (2021) and was named as one of the Top ten Innovative Lawyers in Asia Pacific (2017) by the Financial Times. She is recognised as an APAC Entrepreneur (2023) and one of the 10 Most Admired Women in Leaders (2021) of Industry Era Women Leaders. Archana is a member of the Asian Seafood Improvement Collaborative Social Standards Steering Committee, the Steering Committee of the Responsible Labour Initiative of the Responsible Business Alliance and the Forbes Nonprofit Council.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

Greater awareness and engagement with the “S” in ESG