Karla I. Quintana O.
Karla Quintana is the Head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP) and a human rights expert and legal scholar with extensive experience in international human rights law, transitional justice, and constitutional law.
Previously served as National Commissioner for the Search of Missing Persons in Mexico, where she led national efforts to address over 100,000 cases of disappearances and more than 70,000 unidentified bodies. During her tenure, she developed public policies on search operations and family participation, established the National Registry of Missing Persons, and advanced key initiatives including forensic interventions and contextual analysis.
Prior to this, she headed the Victims’ Federal Public Defense in Mexico, leading initiatives to strengthen access to justice, psychosocial support, and reparations for victims of crime and human rights violations. Earlier in her career, she served as a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico.
At the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, she litigated cases of systemic human rights violations before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. She also worked as an Anti-Corruption Investigator with the Integrity Vice Presidency of the World Bank, contributing to strengthening accountability in international development projects.
In addition, she has been an Associate Researcher at El Colegio de México, focusing on transitional justice and enforced disappearances.
She holds a Doctorate in Law (SJD) from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Harvard University, and a Master’s degree in Gender Studies from the University of Barcelona. She is fluent in Spanish and English and has working knowledge of Italian and French.
