Arminka Helic

The Right Honourable The Baroness Helic
Official portrait, 2019
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 September 2014 Life peerage
Personal details
Born	Arminka Helić (1968-04-20)20 April 1968 Gračanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina,SFR Yugoslavia
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative

Arminka Helic, Baroness Helic(Bosnian:Helić;born 20 April 1968),is a BritishConservativepolitician andlife peerfromBosnia and Herzegovinawho served as aspecial adviserto Foreign SecretaryWilliam Hague.

Helic was nominated to theHouse of LordsbyDavid Cameronand was created alife peeron 18 September 2014 asBaroness Helic, ofMillbankin theCity of Westminster.She wasintroduced to the House of Lordson 24 November 2014.

Early life

Helic was born inGračanica, SFR Yugoslavia.

Foreign policy adviser

Helic is aBosnia and Herzegovinaforeign policy expert who became aConservative Partyadviser after fleeing theYugoslav warsin the 1990s.She has advised numerous Conservatives in opposition and government from 1998 onwards, and was described byMatthew D'Anconaas "one of the most impressive foreign policy experts in the Government".Known for her discretion,there is little in the public domain on her personal views, although she is pro-American. According to a leaked dispatch from Richard LeBaron, Deputy Head of the US Mission in London, she sharesWilliam Hague's pronounced pro-U.S. views and described the United States as "the essential country."

Global Sexual Violence Initiative

Helic is credited with persuading UKForeign SecretaryWilliam Hague to launch the UK's GlobalSexual ViolenceInitiative.Hague worked withAngelina Jolieto draw attention to the issue at a four-day summit in 2014.In October 2017, Helic was named as one of London's most influential figures for her refugee work.

Trust Fund for Victims

In November 2015, Helic was elected to the Board of the Trust Fund for Victims as the representative of Western European Countries and Other States. The Trust, established under the auspices of theRome Statute of the International Criminal Court,encourages restorative justice through the provision of assistance to victims of crimes that fall within the Court's jurisdiction.

Parliamentary work

In May 2016, Helic was appointed to the House of Lords International Relations Committee.