Secretary-General Appoints Antonia De Meo of United States as Director of United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Antonia Marie De Meo of the United States as Director of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute.

The Secretary-General wishes to extend his appreciation and gratitude to Bettina Tucci Bartsiotas, who will continue to serve as Acting Director until Ms. De Meo assumes this position.

Ms. De Meo brings to the position over 20 years of experience in the rule of law and human rights, including criminal justice and crime prevention, gender equity and child and migrant rights.  She is currently Chief of the Human Rights, Transitional Justice and Rule of Law Service at the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Libya.

Prior to this position, she served as Chief of Staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from 2014 to 2017.  Ms. De Meo has held senior management positions with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Sri Lanka and Sudan (2011-2014), the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Sudan (2011-2012) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Palestine, Iraq and Jordan (2009-2011).

She was the Anti-Trafficking and Gender Adviser for the Mission to Moldova of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) (2005-2007) and Deputy Registrar of the Human Rights Chamber for Bosnia and Herzegovina (2000‑2003).  A trial lawyer by training and former prosecutor, she commenced her overseas development work for the American Bar Association’s Central and East European Law Initiative in Moldova (1999-2000).

Ms. De Meo holds a master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a Juris Doctor degree from Lewis and Clark Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College.