Melissa Parke

Melissa Parke grew up in country Western Australia on an apple orchard. She attended Bunbury Senior High School and later graduated with a Bachelor of Business from Curtin University. She completed a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at the University of NSW and a Master of Laws (LLM) in Public International Law at Murdoch University. She worked in private practice in Sydney and then as the solicitor-in-charge at the Bunbury Community Legal Centre.

Melissa’s community engagement and contributions have included being a Western Australian representative on the national council of the Australian Conservation Foundation, a spokesperson for the Communities for Coastal Conservation, a management committee member of the Environmental Defenders Office (WA), and the President of Labor Lawyers (WA).

In November 1999, Melissa accepted a job with the UN Mission in Kosovo. Since that time Melissa has also worked for the UN in Gaza, Beirut, Cyprus, and New York, and her varied roles have encompassed the investigation of terrorist crimes in the Middle East and the establishment of a UN Ethics Office.

Melissa’s experience at the United Nations has only deepened her understanding of the need for national and international mechanisms that promote social justice, economic opportunity, and environmental conservation.