Erika Feller AO

Erika Feller AO has had a 40-year career in international law, humanitarian protection and diplomacy. She served for 26 years with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 7 years as one of its two Assistant High Commissioners where she exercised oversight for the Organization’s global protection responsibilities. With UNHCR she travelled to refugee situations, had carriage of key multilateral discussions and managed protection policy directions. Earlier she served as UNHCR’s Representative in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei and Regional Coordinator for refugee status determination throughout the SE Asian region. UNHCR was preceded by 14 years and three international diplomatic postings with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs. She is a widely acknowledged and published authority on refugee matters. She is a fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, was granted a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellowship at the University of Melbourne and is currently a Professorial Fellow with the University. She played an instrumental role in the creation of the University’s Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness. In 2021 she received an AO ‘for distinguished service to the international community, to the recognition and protection of human rights, and to refugee law’.