Dunja Mijatović | |
|---|---|
Дуња Мијатовић | |
.jpg) Mijatović in 2015 | |
| Commissioner for Human Rights | |
| In office 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Nils Muižnieks |
| Succeeded by | Michael O'Flaherty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | |
| Education | University of Sarajevo (BS,MA) |
Dunja Mijatović (Serbian Cyrillic:Дуња Мијатовић; is a Bosnian human rights expert and activist.
An expert onmedia law andmedia regulation, she served from 2010 to 2017 as theOSCERepresentative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM),[1] and as theCouncil of EuropeCommissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2024.[2]
Having studied in a variety of countries, Mijatović earned her B.Sc. at theUniversity of Sarajevo in 1987. She then pursued a joint M.A. inEuropean studies at a variety of universities (University of Sarajevo,University of Sussex,University of Bologna andLondon School of Economics),[3] graduating in 2002 with a Master’s thesis on "The Internet and Freedom of Expression".
Mijatović is a native speaker ofSerbo-Croatian. She is also fluent inEnglish andGerman and has a working knowledge ofFrench andRussian.[3]
Throughout her career, Mijatović has been engaged in media issues across a multitude of disciplines, with substantial experience inBosnia and Herzegovina, as well asintergovernmental settings.
As early as 1998, as one of the founders of the BiH Communications Regulatory Agency, she helped create a legal, regulatory and policy framework for the media in a complex post-war society.[3] She was also involved in setting up a self-regulatory press council and the first free media helpline in Southeast Europe.[4]
In 2007, Mijatović was elected Chair of the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities,[5] the first woman and the first person from a non-EU Member State to hold the post. Prior to that appointment, she chaired theCouncil of Europe's Group of Specialists on "Freedom of Expression and Information in Times of Crisis".
During her chairmanship, the CoE Committee of Ministers adopted a Declaration on the “Protection and promotion of investigative journalism” and issued Guidelines on "protecting freedom of expression and information in times of crisis.”[6]
As an expert on media andcommunications legislation, she has worked in a number of countries.
In addition, she haslectured, in her home country and abroad, on various aspects of media freedom and regulation. Since 2000 she has taught media regulation at the Universities of Sarajevo and Banja Luka and, among other teaching positions, has lectured at the Academy for Political Excellence (2007-2009) and has served, since 2008, as a permanent lecturer with the joint OSCE / Ministry of Security project on "Media, Security and Hate Crime".
In 2010 Mijatović succeededMiklós Haraszti as the OSCERepresentative on Freedom of the Media (RfoM).
In accordance with the 1997 Directive that established the post, Mijatović aimed to fulfil her mandate asOSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media[7] by observing relevant media developments in OSCE participating States, advocating and promoting full compliance with OSCE principles and commitments concerning freedom of expression and free media, and sending early warnings and implementing rapid responses in cases of non-compliance.[8]
In March 2013 she was reappointed for a second three-year term as OSCE RFoM Representative.
On 24 January 2018, Mijatović was elected by theParliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to serve as the Council's Commissioner on Human Rights for a non-renewable term of six years.[9] She took up her new post on 1 April 2018.
| Preceded by | Council of EuropeCommissioner for Human Rights 2018-present | Incumbent |
| International | |
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| Other | |
