Dr. Jelena Aparac
Professor of International Law, Human Rights, and International Security
- Faculty Type
- Core Teaching Faculty
- Expertise Areas
- Armed Conflict Business and Human Rights Climate Change and International Law Conflict, Security & Peace Economics & Development Human Rights Humanitarian Action International Criminal Law International Humanitarian Law International Law & Public Policy International Peace and Security Mercenary Activities and Armed Groups Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) Private Sector & Corporate Affairs Transitional Justice
- Professional Experience
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- Professor of International Law, Human Rights, and International Security
- Former Chair-Rapporteur, UN Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries
- Former Member, UN Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries
- Member, International Expert Group on International Criminal Law and Climate Change (UCLA)
- Legal Adviser, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
- Member, International Expert Group on International Criminal Law and Climate Change (UCLA)
- Editorial Board Member, Business and Human Rights Journal
- Co-editor, Armed Groups and International Law academic blog
- Education
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- Ph.D., University of Paris Nanterre (CEDIN Research Centre)
- LL.M., Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
- Contact
- External Profile
Biography
Dr. Jelena Aparac is an internationally recognised expert with more than twenty years of experience in international peace and security, transitional justice, and human rights. Her career spans academia, international organisations, and non-governmental institutions, where she has contributed extensively to international legal and policy frameworks.
She previously served as member and Chair-Rapporteur of the United Nations Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. In this role, she led investigations into the activities of the Wagner Group and examined the use of mercenaries and private military and security companies (PMSCs) in contemporary conflicts.
Dr. Aparac is widely recognised for her expertise in Business and Human Rights in Armed Conflicts. She regularly contributes to intergovernmental discussions and negotiations concerning the proposed international treaty on business and human rights as well as future international regulatory instruments relating to PMSCs.
As a member of the International Expert Group on International Criminal Law and Climate Change hosted by UCLA, she contributed to the drafting of the proposed international crime of ecocide.
Her professional experience also includes extensive fieldwork with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), where she served as legal adviser in conflict zones including South Sudan, Chad/Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic. Earlier in her career, she worked on post-conflict reconciliation initiatives in Croatia, focusing on intercultural and interreligious dialogue in conflict-affected communities.
In addition to her academic teaching and international lectures, Dr. Aparac is the author of Business et droits de l’homme dans les conflits armés and numerous scholarly publications in the fields of international law, armed conflict, and human rights. She serves on the editorial board of the Business and Human Rights Journal and co-edits the Armed Groups and International Law academic blog.
Dr. Aparac holds a Ph.D. from the University of Paris Nanterre (CEDIN Research Centre) and an LL.M. from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. She was also selected for the United Nations Senior Women Talent Pipeline, a Secretary-General initiative promoting women in senior UN leadership positions.