Katariina Leinonen

Thematic expertise: human rights, democracy, Women, Peace and Security, gender, reconciliation, conflict prevention and mediation support

Regional/country-specific expertise: Sahel (Burkina Faso), Horn of Africa (Ethiopia), Central and East Africa (Rwanda, DRC, Zimbabwe, Tanzania), Maghreb (Tunisia), Latin America (Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador), Asia (Pakistan)

Languages: Finnish (native), English, French, Spanish

Ms. Katariina Leinonen holds Master’s Degrees in Economics and Business Administration (major in economic geography) and in Human Rights. Katariina has more than 20 years of experience in EU external relations, in particular related to human rights, democracy, Women, Peace and Security, reconciliation, conflict prevention and mediation. Currently she works as the Deputy Head of Division on conflict prevention and peace mediation in the European External Action Service (EEAS). Katariina worked as Deputy Head of EU Delegations in Venezuela (2011-2015) and in Tunisia (2015-2019). She elaborated the first Women, Peace and Security policy of the European Union (2008) and worked in various human rights related positions in the European Commission and in the Council of the European Union (team of the Personal Representative for Human Rights of the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy). She worked in the Rwandese Ministry of Justice (Kigali) managing a transitional justice and reconciliation programme from 2003 to 2005 and supported the justice sector reform of Burkina Faso from 1997 to 2001, being posted in Ouagadougou. Native Finnish speaker, she is fluent in English, French and Spanish.