Octavio Amezcua Noriega is a Human Rights officer with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico City, where he is in charge of the torture and criminal justice agenda. In previous roles, he worked at the Federal Government in Mexico in the design of public policies for the assistance and reparation of victims of human rights violations and as legal director of the Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos (CMDPDH) in Mexico, where he worked on strategic litigation on human rights.

In our interview, we discuss the value and timing of undertaking a Masters degree, crafting a ‘human rights’ CV and top tips for breaking into the UN. Octavio also shares details of his day-to-day life as a Human Rights Officer at the UN and his career highlights litigating cases before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. We also talk about the importance of self-care for human rights professionals.