Janez Lenarčič

Who is Janez Lenarčič?

Janez Lenarčič is a Slovenian diplomat and the current Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights within the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

He began his diplomatic career in 1992 with the Foreign Ministry. His first oversees posting 1994-1999 was at the Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations in New York.

From 2000 to 2001 he worked as adviser to the foreign minister and prime minister of Slovenia.

From 2002 to 2003 he served as State Secretary in the Office of the prime minister.

Lenarčič was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the OSCE in Vienna from 2003 to 2006, and chaired the Permanent Council in 2005 when Slovenia held the rotating chairmanship of the Organization.

From 2006 to 2008 he was State Secretary for European Affairs.

Lenarčič holds a degree in international law from the University of Ljubljana, 1992.

He received France's highest award, the Légion d'honneur.