Christopher Le Mon is the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Vice President for Programs and Strategy. In this role, he provides programmatic and strategic leadership to IFES across all programs, builds and deepens IFES partnerships and alliances, and serves as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team setting IFES strategic priorities.
Christopher brings more than 15 years of experience in public service in the U.S. government and nonprofit sector. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the U.S. Department of State from 2021 to 2025, where he led U.S. human rights and democracy policy for the Middle East and North Africa region as well as human rights policy relating to U.S. global security assistance. From 2009 to 2017, Christopher served in a number of foreign policy and national security roles at the White House, the National Security Council, and the Department of State, principally focused on multilateral diplomacy and human rights. He twice received a Department of State Superior Honor Award for leading initiatives to support UN peacekeeping and advance human rights.
Between his periods of U.S. government service, Christopher was the Washington Director for Crisis Action, where he led advocacy to protect civilians and end conflicts in Yemen and Syria. Prior to starting his career in public service, Christopher was an international lawyer in private practice, focusing on anti-corruption investigations and U.S. national security law, and served as law clerk to Judge Thomas Buergenthal at the International Court of Justice. He holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and was admitted to the bars of New York and Washington, D.C. He is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.