UN General Assembly Extends Term of Human Rights Commissioner Turk for 4 Years

SadaNews - The United Nations General Assembly voted late Friday - Saturday, overwhelmingly in favor of extending the term of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, for another four years, despite opposition from Russia and Israel and a threat from the United States to reassess its funding.

Turk is known for his criticisms of the Russian war in Ukraine and Israeli operations in Gaza, as well as his calls for investigations into deaths that occurred during the detention of migrants by US authorities, which has led to strong opposition from the three countries due to his readiness to stand up to major powers.

A large majority of the 193 member states of the General Assembly voted earlier to reject a Russian counter-proposal to extend Turk's term for just over two months until the end of 2026. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed the second term for Turk when his current term ends in October. Turk had previously worked closely with Guterres, who will conclude his second term as Secretary-General of the international organization in December.

The General Assembly supported Guterres' proposal with 144 votes in favor, 10 against, and 13 abstentions. The United States had called for postponing the vote until next week for consultations, warning against approving Guterres' proposal. Jeff Bartos, the U.S. representative for UN Management and Reform, said before the General Assembly vote, "Agreeing to reappoint Volker Turk validates what the UN's most vocal critics say about this body being dysfunctional." He added, "There is no doubt that if this Assembly accommodates procedural abuses and deals made behind closed doors and abuses of UN positions, there will be consequences. The United States will immediately reassess the level of its engagement and participation and its funding."

The European Union expressed its full support for extending Turk's term for four years, along with several African countries and many Latin American nations. China also voted in favor of the proposal.