Héleyn Uñac
Founder of Human Rights Vigilance
Attorney-at-Law ("Avocate") registered with the Paris Bar
and the Netherlands Bar
Héleyn Uñac possesses over 20 years’ experience in providing legal and strategic advice and support in the international human rights law and international criminal law fields (in English and French).
She has worked for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) from 2010 to 2022, first as Chief of the Legal Advisory section of the Defence Office and, from 2014, as Deputy Head of the Defence Office. From March to June 2018, she was Acting Head of the Defence Office upon designation by the United Nations Secretary-General.
Prior to her employment with the STL, she practiced as an attorney-at-law ("Avocate") in France (in Marseille and Montpellier) and advised counsel practicing before international criminal tribunals, including the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).
She has collaborated with non-governmental and intergovernmental organisations in the fields of human rights (including women’s rights, victims' rights and fair trial rights), rule of law, international criminal justice and counter-terrorism.
She is the President of the International Criminal Defence Commission of the International Association of Lawyers (UIA) and a member of the UIA's Women’s Committee.
She is admitted to the International Criminal Court's List of counsel and a member of the International Criminal Court Bar Association.
She was trained as an Accredited Mediator by the London School of Mediation (LSM) and in Business and Human Rights by the International Association of Lawyers (UIA).
linkedin.com/in/héleyn-uñac-14a8a5221