UN Photo: OHCHR
The post of High Commissioner requires a mandate holder who is principled, independent, expert, and deeply committed to human rights.
The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) notes the announcement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, that she will conclude her term in August.
The post of High Commissioner requires a mandate holder who is principled, independent, expert, and deeply committed to human rights.
It requires a mandate holder who can engage in strategic dialogue while also pursuing accountability and combating impunity for violations and abuses of human rights, even those committed by the most powerful states and actors.
It requires support for human rights defenders and solidarity with individuals, groups and minorities subject to various forms of discrimination and oppression.
The UN Secretary General’s process for the appointment of the next High Commissioner should be open, transparent, merit-based and involve meaningful consultation with independent civil society organisations and human rights defenders.’
ISHR will seek to support and critically engage with the work of the next mandate holder in order to ensure their commitment to public diplomacy in favour of advancing human rights worldwide.
On Tuesday 16 April 2024, ISHR delivered to both Geneva’s Administrative Council and its legislative counterpart, the Municipal Council, physical copies of the more than 1000 signatures collected in support of a memorial honouring Chinese human rights defender Cao Shunli.
13 April 2024 marked one year since the Chinese authorities arbitrarily detained prominent human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife, woman defender Xu Yan. As their health steadily deteriorates, 30 rights groups and the European Union have renewed their call for their prompt release.
In a series of groundbreaking rulings in early 2024, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court of Colombia set new precedents that significantly enhance protections for human rights defenders across Latin America.
