Veronica Hinestroza Arenas

Veronica Hinestroza Arenas is a Colombian human rights lawyer and consultant, currently serving as a member of the Steering Committee for the development of a set of Universal Standards for non-coercive interviewing and procedural safeguards and as the Chair of the Purposes and Principles of Investigation Committee of the ‘La Esperanza Protocol’ for the investigation of threats against human rights defenders.

During the last 17 years, Veronica has worked to promote and support the advancement and implementation of international human rights and humanitarian law standards at various levels, including the Colombian transitional justice process, criminal justice systems in Latin America, the Inter-American Human Rights System, and the United Nations. 

In addition, to managing the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute programmes in East Timor and Latin America between 2016 and 2019, she also worked for Impunity Watch, the World Bank, the International Centre for Transitional Justice, the Overseas Development Institute, Samusocial and the Externado de Colombia University. As an evaluator she has assessed projects implemented by UN agencies, The Norwegian Refugee Council, and the OAS Mission in support of the peace process in Colombia.

She holds a BA in Government and International Relations from the Externado de Colombia University, an MA in Politics of Alternative Development from the Institute for Social Studies, and an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex. She is a Chevening and a Nuffic Scholar and a UNITAR and SIDA Fellow.

Follow her Twitter: @Laveroha and read her articles in Spanish at La Silla Vacia.

Veronica Hinestroza was profiled by Natacha Bracq, a French lawyer, and presently the Senior Officer for Training and Capacity Building at the International Nuremberg Principles Academy. Read more about Natacha’s work at the end of this profile and follow her @BracqNatacha.

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What drew you to working in international human rights law? And what were your first steps?

Growing up in Colombia, a country impacted by years of violence and an internal armed conflict, I have witnessed many human rights violations. The stories of political violence I heard in my childhood had a significant impact on me, as did the war between the drug cartels. I was very affected by the recurring explosions and violence in Bogotá, where I lived. This was a time during which everyone around me had a personal relationship with a direct victim, unlike the ongoing violence of the armed conflict, which felt somehow remote.

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to understand what was happening around me and why. Sadly, while I could learn about foreign conflicts and revolutions at school, I could not learn much about the Colombian situation. I can say with certainty that the need to understand the causes behind the violence that produces so much human suffering, first in my country and today of course more broadly, has guided my academic and professional path. 

Being a lawyer did not initially cross my mind. The law curriculum, in which human rights were only an elective, did not seem to offer the answers I was looking for. I decided to study government and international relations at Universidad Externado de Colombia, a relatively new degree, which included some law and human rights courses. While at university, I got the incredible opportunity to participate in an exchange program with an American University in Washington DC. During this time, I completed two internships, one with the Centre for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) and one with the Global Development Network at the World Bank (GDN). After this multidisciplinary experience, there was no turning back. I understood how international human rights law could be used as a tool to seek justice and how the enjoyment of fundamental guarantees could materialise in opportunities for people to flourish. 

I returned to Colombia, determined to start working with victims of violence and communities historically most vulnerable due to poverty. However, I soon realised that civil society actors were mainly comprised of individuals directly affected by the conflict. The idea that people could study human rights and enter the field because they were interested in it was not common. I felt that despite my enthusiasm, I did not fit in. Still, my instinct was to keep trying and to avoid getting side-tracked by other opportunities in the government or the private sector.

Soon after, the Dean asked me to work on the internationalisation of the Faculty. A couple of years later, I was accepted to undertake a MA in Development Studies in The Hague. I wrote my dissertation on a topic that was still evolving at that time, the treatment of child soldiers by international tribunals. I was subsequently awarded a Law Clerk position at the International Criminal Court and got to work with professionals who, to this date, continue to inspire me.

With more concrete academic and work experience, I returned to Colombia exactly when the first law on transitional justice was being adopted and re-joined the university, this time as a researcher focusing on transitional justice. I got my first consultancy about a year later, which finally gave me the opportunity to work on bringing together the fields of human rights and development. I worked for the World Bank on producing a report addressed to the government on approaches and costs of the design of the first comprehensive reparation program. 

Other consultancies and academic work followed and four years later I completed my first degree dedicated entirely to international human rights law at the University of Essex.

What are the main highlights of your career to date?

My journey has been filled with inspiring and often challenging opportunities that have shaped me into the professional I am today. Three main highlights come to mind.

Between 2010 and 2012, I worked as the Technical Coordinator of a World Bank project in Bogotá to explore existing theoretical and practical links between human rights and development. The project focused on the experience of regional development and peace programs in five conflict-affected regions of Colombia. Those working to create alternative livelihoods for the communities and the communities themselves were first and foremost struggling to survive the conflict. When asked whether their work contributed to human rights, their answer was obvious: “Of course, it contributes to preserving the right to life!” Their efforts seemed however to be more fruitful and to even positively impact multiple other rights. 

Despite their mistrust in the “western”, and often seen as academic, human rights concepts, and after two years of working together, the conclusion was irrefutable for all of us: their work was not only saving lives but also strengthening the social fabric through a greater enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. None of us expected the extent to which the project would be impactful. The main output was a tool to plan and measure development projects from an intended rights-based perspective, including indicators which are still in use to date. This challenging experience had a transformative effect on everyone involved, and certainly changed me. 

The second highlight is my work as Senior Programme Lawyer in charge of Latin America with the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) between 2016 and 2019. There, I moved from focusing on Colombia to working on the Latin American region more broadly. I was no longer seen as a Colombian but as a Latin American. This pushed me to learn more about my region and also motivated me to improve my Portuguese to be able to communicate effectively with partners in Brazil.

My time at IBAHRI made me realise that change could only be achieved by strengthening the capacity of the institutions responsible for preventing and prosecuting human rights violations. Our work with legal practitioners and judicial actors helped me understand their own struggles. No one is prepared to deal with mass violations of human rights and those willing to comply with international standards often lack the tools and resources to ensure effective access to justice for victims. My work focused on providing sustained training and technical assistance to all actors in the criminal justice process to prevent, document, and investigate grave human rights violations, particularly torture and enforced disappearances. 

For three and a half years, I worked on understanding domestic legal systems in the region and on translating human rights to the local reality, bridging the gap between international and domestic frameworks. Our work in México, El Salvador, Brazil, Paraguay, and Colombia was very positive and continues to show results. In Brazil, for example, we worked with prosecutors, judges, public defenders, and forensic doctors to introduce the use of the Istanbul Protocol into the justice system. We supported the first case applying the Protocol, a historic moment for the fight against torture in the country.

Finally, joining two international committees charged with developing guidelines to inform the domestic investigation of crimes in light of international standards is one of the more recent highlights. I also participated in the working group charged with updating the Istanbul Protocol - the UN Manual for the effective investigation and documentation of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, under the lead of an inspiring Editorial Committee.

The first of these Committees is working on developing universal guidelines for non-coercive interviewing, integrating all relevant legal and procedural international safeguards. This effort aims to address the first hours of custody, time during which the risks of torture and ill-treatment are the highest and during which authorities are gathering information. I am working alongside leading experts, for example, former UN Special Rapporteur Juan E. Mendez and lawyers Therese Rytter, Ruth Ssekindi, and Rebecca Shaeffer. 

On the other hand, La Esperanza Protocol aims at highlighting the State’s duty to investigate the threats faced by human rights defenders. Unfortunately, such threats often tend to be disregarded leading to lasting negative impact on the ability of human rights defenders and social leaders to raise their voice and advocate for social change. This initiative is supported by the participation of Latin-American women, including Viviana Krsticevic and Claudia Paz y Paz.

In their development, international instruments have not always accounted for the views and experiences of local actors in the global South. This is why I am especially excited to bring my knowledge and understanding of the Latin American context to the table. In particular, I would like to ensure that such future standards respond to the realities and needs of local actors, who will have the key role of implementing and enforcing them on the ground.

Contributing to the work of these committees has given me the unique opportunity to address the gaps I identified during my work in-country. As the only Latin American legal expert in the Steering Committee on non-coercive interviewing, for example, I want my participation to have as much impact as possible.

What are some of the challenges that you faced coming up in your career?

I never got used to how legal the human rights field can be. Human rights operate in context and interact with many other disciplines, it is not always easy to get their message across. This is why I find that the efforts following the path opened by the Istanbul and the Minnesota Protocols - bringing together legal and forensic experts - are key to enriching the justice process. 

Being a woman has also certainly been challenging, especially coming from a traditionally patriarchal society. It forced me to study more, to understand better, and to always be prepared to respond with arguments to comments and questions driven by prejudice.

In addition, I did not know anyone working on human rights when I first started. The road would potentially have been easier if I had someone to take advice from. I was very aware of this and from my very first internship I have invested in cultivating a network that has certainly been key in supporting and mentoring me along the way.

Another significant challenge is language. This is true in at least two ways. The first one is that key reports and studies tend to be published only, or at least first, in English which means that those working in other languages need to be constantly translating to get the message through timely. As I got to more influential positions, I have done my best to push for organisations I work with to invest in publishing in Spanish and Portuguese. The second one, is the fact that working in different languages requires a lot energy which is not often accounted for and recognised by peers or organisations.

What would be your advice for people, particularly women, hoping to work in international human rights law?

Never stop learning. Expand your competences. I have always studied and continue to do so until today. Our field requires us to always be prepared, and studying is one of the only opportunities during which we are allowed not to know and to ask as many questions as we want. It is very liberating and a source of much needed inspiration.

Be innovative and bold. We all have the potential to interpret international instruments, it is not a task reserved to judges. How we understand the law and how we find meaning for it for each context will help turn dry and remote legal standards into lively and relatable concepts. 

Cooperate with others. Although the field of human rights is growing and more people are interested in it, we are still too few. As a result, we should be less focused on doing things on our own. We should work together and acknowledge the work done by other organisations and their expertise. The limited funding pushes organisations to compete with each other and to work separately rather than together. We should not forget our primary objectives. Cooperation enriches the outcomes of our projects and ultimately benefits the target groups and those seeking justice. 

Uplift your colleagues. It is easy to forget that we are not alone and our achievements are the results of the work of a lot of people. It is not only about the lawyers, we also need to embrace everyone involved, from administrative staff to interns and consultants. Work will be a more enjoyable place if we empower every member of the team by sharing with them the outcomes, we all contributed to.

While I hope you will only encounter positive managers and colleagues, make sure you learn from the negative ones as well. Identify what you do not want to emulate as you advance in your career, both lessons, positive and negative, will enrich your personal code of work ethics.

Embrace your culture, accent, and language. It is important to value your roots, your language, and your accent. The motivational power of representation must not be underestimated. Moreover, by acknowledging the value of the diversity you can bring to others, we push organisations to become truly multicultural.

Always keep the struggle of local actors, particularly victims, in mind. Behind every situation, every case that reaches an international organisation, there are courageous individuals and groups of local actors that have been fighting against all odds and risks to raise their voice. Their struggles should always be prioritised over personal achievements and ambitions. Our work is not about us but about those we are representing. Do not forget to always honour local actors and victims every step of the way.

I would like to end this interview by thanking you, Natacha, and the Atlas community for such opportunity and inviting me to reflect on my career. It has been a powerful experience. Muchas gracias!

Veronica was profiled for ATLAS by Natacha Bracq, Senior Officer for Training and Capacity Building at the International Nuremberg Principles Academy. Natacha is also the founder and editor of the Blog – Droit International Pénal - BDIP (ICL blog in the French language). Before joining the Academy, she worked as a lawyer registered with the Paris Bar, MENA Program Lawyer with the International Bar Associations’ Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), and project coordinator with Global Rights Compliance LLP (GRC). Natacha also worked with Wayne Jordash QC before various international tribunals including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Follow her on Twitter @BracqNatacha.