Zeina Jallad

Zeina Jallad is a Palestinian human-rights lawyer and scholar who was appointed as UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures in May 2026.

Studies She studied at the American University of Beirut and at Columbia Law School, has been a fellow at Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, and NYU School of Law, and has a position on the Board of Trustees of Birzeit University.

Selection as UN special rapporteur She has held the post of Senior Legal Advisor to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, and on 1 May 2026 she was appointed special rapporteur "on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures." She was allegedly selected by UNHRC’s Office of the President despite being second choice of a UNHRC consultative group, which recommended Clara Portela, an academic from Spain, as their preferred candidate.