He succeeds Michelle Bachelet. Austrian Volker Türk, a close associate of the UN Secretary General, was appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Thursday. Antonio Guterres had proposed Wednesday to the General Assembly the appointment of his deputy in charge of politics to this vacant post since the end of the mandate of the former Chilean president on August 31.
A choice approved Thursday afternoon by consensus by the member states of the UN, to applause. The Austrian, who became 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 closely collaboration with Antonio Guterres when the latter directed it.
A career at UNHCR
Antonio Guterres has always given the High Commissioners “the space and independence necessary to exercise their mandate fully and that will not change at all when Volker Türk takes office”, assured Thursday the spokesperson for the Secretary General, Stéphane Dujarric, questioned about the proximity between the two men.
“If you look at his career at UNHCR, he spent it defending the rights of men, women and children who sought protection in the name of international law. He did so with energy, including defending cases in court to defend refugee rights,” he added.
Tense report on Xinjiang
This choice of Antonio Guterres for 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.
Volker Türk will find a well-stocked work table. Michèle 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 region 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.
Exposing violations, even in the most powerful countries
In this report, the UN refers to possible “crimes against humanity” and reports “credible evidence” of torture and sexual violence against the Uyghur minority. If it does not contain any revelations about the situation in Xinjiang, this document brings the seal of the United Nations to the accusations made 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. “He must speak loud and clear to defend victims of human rights violations around the world. They are counting on him to stand up to those who violate human rights, even if they are powerful states,” insisted Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International in a press release.
“Strong investigations and a strong voice”
“Whether it’s tackling crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, war crimes in Ukraine and Ethiopia, or racism in the United States, the human rights chief’s most effective tools are robust investigations and a strong voice,” said Tirana Hassan, acting executive director of Human Rights Watch.
Several NGOs and diplomatic sources in Geneva, where the UN human rights office is based, were highly critical of the opacity of the appointment process. “The Secretary General has missed a key opportunity to build the legitimacy and authority of the next High Commissioner,” commented the executive director of the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), Phil Lynch, assuring however that his organization as others would seek to “work closely” with the next High Commissioner.