Ambassador Ivan Šimonović is a an accomplished diplomat and international law expert with a career spanning over two decades in both government and the United Nations. Currently serving as Permanent Representative of Croatia to the UN, Chairperson of UNCITRAL, and Co-Chair of the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect. He has previously held key UN positions, including UN ASG and Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Responsibility to Protect and UN ASG for Human Rights, heading OHCHR’s New York Office, where he participated in 15 SG-led country visits and led 20 field missions as the UN ASG.

With a wealth of experience and expertise in International Law, Human Rights, and International Relations, he has published extensively in these fields in English and Croatian and held various expert positions, such as Commissioner of the International Commission against the Death Penalty, Agent of Croatia before the UN International Court of Justice, and Co-coordinator of General Assembly initiatives related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Šimonović has received numerous awards, including the Officer of the Legion of Honour of the French Republic and five high Croatian decorations. He holds advanced degrees in law and public administration from the University of Zagreb, as well as being a visiting scholar at universities in Graz and Yale.

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