The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres has proposed the appointment of the Austrian Volker Türk as the next UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, according to a document sent to the General Assembly which will have to approve this choice .
According to several diplomatic sources, Mr. Guterres told UN member states on Wednesday evening that he wanted the appointment to this post of Mr. Türk, currently assistant secretary-general in charge of policy within his cabinet, in order to replace Michelle Bachelet who left her post on August 31.
"The Secretary-General proposes to appoint Mr. Volker Türk ( Austria ) as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights," Antonio Guterres wrote to the General Assembly, in a
letter seen by AFP on Thursday . "The Secretary General is confident that the General Assembly will approve his appointment."
The UN General Assembly should take up this issue on Thursday or Friday, according to the sources interviewed.
The Austrian Volker Türk, appointed Deputy Secretary General for Policy in January 2022, has spent most of his career in the UN system, in particular within the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) where he had already worked in close collaboration with Antonio Guterres when the latter was in charge.
"During my 30 years of work with refugees at UNHCR, I have seen again and again the consequences of hate speech and their dehumanizing impacts on populations," he said on Twitter in July, relaying the campaign of the 'No to Hate'.
This choice made by Antonio Guterres of a diplomat unknown to the general public contrasts with the one he made four years ago when he wished to appoint a powerful politician to this sensitive post, the former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, still not replaced a week after his departure.
"In all previous appointments, the candidate recommended by the Secretary General was approved by consensus," the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) said in a statement.
If his appointment is approved, Mr. Türk will find a well-stocked work table. Ms. Bachelet has chosen to make public a few minutes before the end of her mandate a long-awaited report on possible crimes against humanity in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, the delicate follow-up of which will fall to her successor.
Strongly criticized by China, which has exerted very strong pressure and led a campaign to prevent its publication, this 48-page document has been hailed by many Western countries who see it as a solid basis for denouncing the abuses committed by the authorities. Chinese.
In this report, the UN refers to possible "crimes against humanity" and reports "credible evidence" of torture and sexual violence against the Uyghur minority and calls on the international community to act.
If it does not contain any revelations compared to what was already known about the situation in Xinjiang, this document brings the seal of the United Nations to the accusations leveled for a long time against the Chinese authorities. However, he does not use the word "genocide", used in January 2021 by the United States and then adopted by deputies from other Western countries.
Human rights organizations have called on the next UN human rights chief to show courage and speak out against violations even in the most powerful countries.
"The stakes have never been higher," said Sarah Brookes, program director at ISHR, quoted in the organization's statement. The NGO and other rights organizations have been highly critical of the opacity of the nomination process.
Diplomatic sources in Geneva, where the UN human rights office is based, also noted the lack of transparency. "It's been a remarkably murky process," said a Western diplomat.
"The Secretary General has missed a key opportunity to build the legitimacy and authority of the next High Commissioner", commented the ISHR's Executive Director, Phil Lynch, assuring however that his organization like others "will seek to work closely and collaboratively with the next High Commissioner to protect human rights".
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Volker Türk of Austria as Under-Secretary-General for Policy in his Executive Office.
In addition to coordinating global policy work, the Secretary-General has asked Mr. Türk to focus in particular on follow-up to the ‘Our Common Agenda’ report and to continue the strategic coordination work within the Executive Office. He will ensure coherence in the analysis provided to the Secretary-General and conduct system-wide coordination, including on the Secretary-General’s ‘Call to Action for Human Rights’. He will continue to chair the Deputies Committee and oversee secretariat support to the Executive Committee and the Senior Management Group, as well as coordinate closely on matters related to the Chief Executives Board.
Mr. Türk has since 2019, served as Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. Prior to this appointment, he was Assistant High Commissioner for Protection in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva (2015-2019), with particular responsibilities for the development of the Global Compact on Refugees.
He served in key UNHCR headquarter positions, including as Director of the Division of International Protection (2009-2015), Director of Organizational Development and Management (2008-2009); and Chief of Section, Protection Policy and Legal Advice (2000-2004). Mr. Türk also occupied various positions with UNHCR around the world, including as Representative in Malaysia, Assistant Chief of Mission in Kosovo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, respectively; Regional Protection Co-ordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and in Kuwait.
Mr. Türk holds a doctorate in international law from the University of Vienna and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Linz, Austria. He is fluent in English and French and has working knowledge of Spanish.
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