Louis-Marie BOUAKA

**Louis-Marie BOUAKA** is an international expert in human rights and public international law, with nearly three decades of experience within the United Nations system. His career is distinguished by extensive expertise in the promotion and protection of fundamental rights, democratic governance, and institutional support in complex political and security environments.

Holding a **PhD in Public International Law**, he devoted most of his professional career to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), where he held numerous senior positions from 1995 onwards across Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean.

From March 2019 to March 2022, he served as **Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for Central Africa**, as well as Director of the United Nations Subregional Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa, based in Cameroon. In these capacities, he contributed to the promotion of human rights and the strengthening of institutional protection mechanisms at the regional level.

Previously, he served as OHCHR Representative in Burundi from 2018 to 2019 and in Guinea from 2011 to 2018. He also held the position of Deputy Director of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2008 to 2011.

His international career also includes assignments in Haiti, where he coordinated the Human Rights Section from 2007 to 2008, and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he held similar responsibilities from 2001 to 2007. Earlier, he served as a Human Rights Officer in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1999 to 2001 and in Rwanda from 1994 to 1998.

Through these various assignments, Louis-Marie BOUAKA has developed an in-depth understanding of human rights protection, institutional dynamics, and governance challenges in environments affected by crises and political transitions.

Since his retirement from the United Nations in March 2022, his professional experience has continued to provide valuable perspectives on fundamental rights, democratic governance, conflict prevention, and the consolidation of the rule of law.

His international background and extensive knowledge of African realities align closely with the areas of research and strategic reflection pursued by the **International Institute for Geopolitical Studies (IIEG)**, particularly in institutional stability, conflict prevention, and international cooperation.