Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute Welcomes Chief of Peace Mission Support Section at the OHCHR Chloé Marnay-Baszanger as Practitioner-in-Residence 

April 24, 2019, NEW YORK—Chloé Marnay-Baszanger, Chief of the Peace Mission Support Section at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), joins Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute (HRI) as a Practitioner-in-Residence. During her time at the Institute, Marnay-Baszanger will seek to explore and review the evolution, impact, and emerging models for human rights integration in both UN and regional peace operations.  

“After 17 years of working in high-paced environments at the political, strategic, and operational levels, I welcome the opportunity to reflect on my experience,” says Marnay-Baszanger. “This time will allow me to gain perspective and develop a better theoretical understanding of my experiences, and translate them into actionable tools for the benefit of the organization and of my personal growth.”

This engagement builds on Marnay-Baszanger’s recent work and research, focusing on the integration of human rights in UN Peace Operations operating in complex and challenging conflict zones. “During her time at HRI, Chloé will seek to assess how United Nations peacekeeping missions have integrated human rights into their operations,” says Alex Moorehead, Director of HRI’s Project on Counterterrorism, Armed Conflict, and Human Rights. “ Chloé’s research links closely HRI’s strong program of work on human rights in conflict zones and we will greatly benefit from Chloé’s deep experience and knowledge of the challenges of upholding human rights in conflict zones,” he added. 

Marnay-Baszanger joins HRI during her research sabbatical from her post as Chief of the Peace Mission Section at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her recent work focuses on the integration of human rights in UN and regional Peace Operations and the response to complex conflict and asymmetric threat environment. She notably led the negotiation, design, and set up “the compliance framework” for the G5-sahel which represents an innovative approach to managing risks during counter-terrorism with the goal to prevent and address human rights and IHL violations during offensive military operations.

The Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute Practitioner-in-Residence Program is designed for human rights practitioners from non-governmental organizations, government, the United Nations, and other intergovernmental and international bodies who seek an environment in which they can engage in research, writing, and scholarly discussion connected to their human rights practice. The program is intended to promote human rights scholarship grounded in practice, as well as practice informed by scholarship and critique. 

While in residence at the Human Rights Institute, Practitioners-in-Residence have the opportunity to work on their own scholarly or policy-oriented papers or books for publication, develop workshops and new research agendas, or prepare for conferences or new human rights projects. Mentoring about academic scholarship is available, as are opportunities for presenting and obtaining feedback on draft work. Practitioners also have the opportunity to participate in the broader intellectual life of the law school, and may deliver guest lectures in the Columbia Law School Human Rights Clinic and other human rights course offerings, participate in the mentoring of Columbia Law School students, advise on ongoing projects of the Human Rights Institute and Clinic, and design workshops or other events with experts from the field.

Marnay-Baszanger served as a Political Affairs Officer for several United Nations Peacekeeping Missions in Kosovo and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In these roles, she led initiatives on the rule of law, protection of civilians, human rights, and women and children. She was a lead drafterdrafted apolicy on UN cooperation with security forces that ultimately became the landmark UN-wide Human Right Due Diligence Policy, a key safeguard that aims at preventing UN support from being provided to security responsible for grave human rights abuses. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from a dual degree program at Columbia University SIPA and Sciences Po, a J.D. in Public International and European law from Université Paris X, Nanterre, and Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies in Contemporary History from the Ecole des Etudes En Sciences Sociales. 

# # #

The Human Rights Institute advances international human rights through education, advocacy, fact-finding, research, scholarship, and critical reflection. It works in partnership with advocates, communities, and organizations pushing for social change to develop and strengthen the human rights legal framework and mechanisms, promote justice and accountability for human rights violations, and build and amplify collective power.

Founded in 1998 by the late Professor Louis Henkin as the anchor for human rights within Columbia Law School, the Human Rights Institute promotes engagement and knowledge of human rights within the law school, throughout the University, and around world. Across the many substantive areas of its work, the Institute builds bridges between scholarship and activism, develops capacity within the legal community, engages governments, and models new strategies for progress.

Join us on Facebook: Columbia Law School and Human Rights Institute

Follow us on Twitter: @ColumbiaLaw and @CLSHumanRights