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Patricia O'Brien
Awards & Honours
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Awards Won
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Records
Patricia O'Brien's career is distinguished by a series of firsts and high-level appointments. Her selection as UN Legal Counsel in 2008 was a landmark for women in international law, and she has since represented Ireland in multiple key diplomatic posts. Her work, while not celebrated in the public eye, has been recognized through the trust placed in her by successive governments and international bodies.

Records & Feats
First woman to serve as UN Legal Counsel and Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs
Historic First·2008
Appointed by Ban Ki-moon in 2008, O'Brien was the first woman to hold this position, heading the UN Office of Legal Affairs.