Human rights ombudswoman

Dr. Simona Drenik Bavdek holds a PhD in Law and serves as an Associate Professor of Constitutional and International Law.

Education

• 2016: PhD in Law (cum laude), Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana. Doctoral dissertation entitled “International Judiciary and Its Impact on the Promotion of the Rule of Law”.
• 2003: The Hague Academy of International Law.
• 2002: Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Law (with honours), Faculty of Law, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
• 2001: State Administration Examination.
• 2000: Bachelor of Laws (cum laude), Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana.
• 1990–1994: Bežigrad Grammar School.
• 1982–1990: Danila Kumar Primary School, Ljubljana.

Professional Experience

• 2020-2026: Assistant Head of the Human Rights Center at the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia. At the Ombudsman's office, she played a key role in consolidating its position as a national human rights institution with A status in accordance with the United Nations Paris Principles. At the international level, she is actively involved in the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI). In October 2024, she was elected to the ENNHRI Management Board for the period 2025-2028, and since 2023 she has also been co-chairing the Legal Working Group within the network.

• 2015–2019: Secretary at the Directorate for Criminal Law and Human Rights, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Slovenia. She was a member of the project group responsible for the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and served as Gender Equality Coordinator. As an expert, she cooperated with the Council of Europe. She played an important role in drafting the Act on the Protection of Children in Criminal Proceedings and their comprehensive treatment in the Barnahus (Children’s House).

• 2000–2015: Diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. As Minister Plenipotentiary, she served for several years as Head of the International Law Division, Head of the Project Unit for representation before the Arbitral Tribunal, Agent of Slovenia before the Arbitral Tribunal in the border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia, and previously as Head of the Human Rights, Council of Europe and OSCE Department, Legal Adviser to the Minister’s Cabinet, diplomat at the Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the OSCE in Vienna and Secretary in the Political Multilateral Affairs Division. She also chaired the Inter-Ministerial Commission for Human Rights. During Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union (2008), she led the priority dossier on the Lisbon Treaty as Legal Adviser, and during Slovenia’s OSCE Chairmanship (2005), she headed the OSCE human dimension at the Permanent Mission in Vienna. She participated in numerous bilateral and multilateral international negotiating delegations and conferences. From 2009 to 2012, she also served as Rapporteur of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

• 2016–2026: Associate Professor of Constitutional and International Law at the Faculty of Law and Economics, Catholic Institute.

She is the editor, author or co-author of numerous scientific and professional publications in the fields of human rights, national human rights institutions, international law, and the rule of law. She has contributed to analyses and publications of the Human Rights Ombudsman and to alternative reports submitted to international monitoring mechanisms of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, and other international organizations on the state of human rights and the rule of law in the Republic of Slovenia.

She regularly lectures and participates as a speaker at national and international professional conferences, seminars, and training programmes, addressing issues of human rights protection, the role of national human rights institutions, international monitoring mechanisms, and challenges to the rule of law in contemporary democratic societies. She also lectures at the Administrative Academy.

During her studies, she served as President and previously Vice-President of the Student Council of the University of Ljubljana and the Student Council of the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana.

In her professional and academic work, she consistently integrates theory and practice. Her expertise focuses on the protection of human rights, the functioning of national and international monitoring mechanisms and courts, and the strengthening of the rule of law.

She is married and the mother of two children.

Members of Parliament elected her as a new Ombudswoman at a session on February 3, 2026, with 62 votes in favor and no votes against.