Rez Gardi

Rez Gardi is an international human rights lawyer, advocate, and trailblazer in the global refugee leadership movement. Born stateless and as a refugee in Pakistan to survivors of genocide, Rez has transformed her lived experience into a lifelong commitment to justice, equity, and systemic change. Her work bridges the gap between law, policy, and lived experience to challenge exclusionary systems and promote meaningful participation of those most affected by displacement and persecution.

Rez is a Harvard-educated lawyer, admitted to the bar in both New York and New Zealand, with academic qualifications in law, international relations, politics, and peace and conflict studies. She combines legal expertise with grassroots advocacy to champion human rights and amplify underrepresented voices in global decision-making spaces.

She is the co-founder and co-director of R-SEAT (Refugees Seeking Equal Access at the Table), the only global refugee-led organisation working to embed refugee co-leadership in state delegations and policy processes at the United Nations. Currently based in New York, she works to bridge advocacy efforts between Geneva and New York, ensuring cohesive and coordinated refugee representation across global governance systems.

Rez also serves as co-director of the Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies at the University of Auckland and is the founder of Empower, a refugee-led organisation advancing educational access for refugee youth. She sits on UNHCR’s Advisory Board and contributes as an expert to the Wilson Center’s Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative.