Dr Binota Dhamai

Binota Moy Dhamai is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) is working on an Australian Research Council grant led by Lead Chief Investigator Dr Virginia Marshall, titled, “Investigating barriers and pathways to commercial development of Indigenous traditional medicines”. My contribution to this project is to, under the supervision of Dr Marshall, to investigate Indigenous governance systems and representative structures, the capacity of national regulatory frameworks for the protection of Traditional Knowledge and for example, the expectations of stakeholders and Indigenous bodies in commercialising traditional medicines. 

With over 20 years of experience working with Indigenous Peoples organisations in Asia regionally and globally, Binota focuses on Indigenous Peoples rights and the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Binota specialises in Indigenous Peoples: politics, empowerment, and global governance.

As an expert member of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), Binota provides advice to the UN Human Rights Council on Indigenous Peoples human rights and achieving the goals of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He has worked on Indigenous Peoples issues such as autonomy, self-determination, traditional governance, land and territorial rights, demilitarisation, and Indigenous Peoples rights in post-conflict situations, and played leadership roles and responsibilities in networking, campaigning, and advocacy at various levels. 

Binota holds a PhD in Regulation and Global Governance from the Australian National University, a Master on Environmental Management and Development from the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, and a Master and Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Dhaka.

Research Interests

Binota's upbringing through his proud Indigenous identity, Tripura, and his work experience on the rights and empowerment of Indigenous Peoples have shaped his research interests.

• Indigenous politics and identity.
• Colonial, post-colonial, nation-state and practices.
• Indigenous Peoples rights in post-conflict situation.
• Indigenous Peoples’ autonomy, self-governance, and self-determination.
• Indigenous governance on traditional medicine and traditional knowledge.
• Treaties and agreements between State and Indigenous Peoples.
• Indigenous Peoples knowledge in biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Indigenous Peoples justice system.