Rochus J.P. Pronk
Rochus J.P. Pronk is Deputy Ambassador, Chargé d’Affaires at the Netherlands Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq, International Lawyer and Human Rights Defender Diplomat, with more than 20 years of international experience, mostly in the area of international peace and security and human rights. Since 2016 Mr. Pronk has been serving in Geneva as the Head of the Human Rights Division at the Netherlands Permanent Representation to the United Nations. In 2017 he served as the WEOG member of the Human Rights Council’s individual complaint mechanism, the Working Group on Situations. In 2017 he also led the Dutch efforts in the Human Rights Council aimed at establishing an international independent investigation into all violations of human rights an humanitarian law in Yemen. In September 2018 he led the negotiation efforts in the HRC aimed at renewing the mandate of this Group of Eminent Experts for Yemen. Mr. Pronk has also been actively involved in the ongoing discussions around Human Rights Council strengthening and reform. Prior to his current posting, Mr. Pronk served amongst others in the Hague, Canada, China, Afghanistan (twice), Brussels, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the occupied Palestinian territories. Trained as an international lawyer specialized in human rights and international humanitarian law, Mr. Pronk began his career at the Washington College of Law in 1994 where he was the co-founder of the War Crimes Research Office. Throughout his ensuing diplomatic career he has always considered himself to be a human rights lawyer and defender at heart.
Currently Teaching
United Nations Human Rights System (LAW-662S-001)
Areas of Specialization
- International Human Rights/Humanitarian Law