Dunja Mijatović is a prominent figure in the realm of human rights advocacy, best known for her tenures as the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights (2018-2024) and Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media (2010-2017). Throughout her career, she championed human rights, democracy and the rule of law, with a particular focus on freedom of expression, and media pluralism.
As the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, she played a crucial role in monitoring and addressing violations of media freedom across OSCE Member States. Her tenure was characterised by a proactive approach to addressing emerging challenges in the digital age.
As Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, she combatted hate speech and promoted tolerance and diversity. She emphasised the importance of countering hate speech as a crucial component of upholding human rights and fostering social cohesion. She also led ground-breaking initiatives aimed at press freedom and protecting journalists’ rights, including by providing a leading stance against strategic lawsuits against public participation. Ms Mijatović’s advocacy for journalists’ protection extended particularly to conflict zones and authoritarian regimes where freedom of the press is under threat.
The project “75 women in 75 years of Council of Europe history” is organised by the Delegation of the European Union to the Council of Europe with the Council of Europe and the Permanent Representations of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
