Biographie

Patrizianna Sparacino-Thiellay is a career diplomat. She was appointed Ambassador at Large for Human Rights, in charge of Holocaust Issues, by the Council of Ministers on 24 July 2013. She took up her functions in September 2013, replacing the departing Ambassador François ZIMERAY who had held the post since 2008.

She served as Director of Family Affairs in the City Hall of Villejuif, a French suburb, before graduating from the National School of Administration (ENA Class of 1996). After entering the French Foreign Service in 1996, her first post as diplomat was within the Ministry’s Directorate for Mainland Europe (1996-1998). She then worked for the European Cooperation Office, where she was in charge of EU External Relations with developing countries in Asia and Latin America (1998-2001).

In 2001, she was seconded to the State Council (France’s Administrative Supreme Court) as Master of Requests where she served until 2003. She was then appointed Second Councilor at the French Embassy in Rome (2003-2006). Upon her return to France, she joined the Ministry’s Directorate of Legal Affairs, where she worked with the International Criminal Court and with other international criminal court bodies (2006-2009). She was appointed Department Manager in the Justice and Home Affairs Directorate within the General Secretariat for European Affairs. During her tenure in this office, she handled the asylum and immigration portfolio (2009-2012).

From May 2012 until she began her current post, she was diplomatic and legal advisor to the French Minister of Women’s Rights, Mrs. Najat Vallaud-Belkacem.

She is married and has two children.

Honors she has received include:

Chevalier of the National Order of Merit (2011).

Commander of the Order of the solidarity of the Presidency of the Italian Republic (2008).