UN human rights chief

July 25, 2026 10:32 AM

UN assembly approves mandate extension for rights chief, despite US warning

The U.N. General Assembly on Friday voted overwhelmingly to extend the term of U.N. Human Rights chief Volker Turk for four more years, despite opposition from Russia and Israel and a U.S. threat to reassess its funding and engagement. Turk, an outspoken critic of Russia's war in Ukraine and Israel's conduct in Gaza, who has also called for investigations into deaths in U.S. immigration custody, had drawn strong opposition from all three countries over his willingness to challenge major powers....

February 6, 2026 2:44 PM

UN rights chief appeals for $400 million as crises mount and funding shrinks

U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk appealed for $400 million on Thursday to address mounting human rights needs in countries such as Sudan and Myanmar, after donor funding cuts drastically reduced the work of his office and left it in "survival mode". The U.N. office is appealing for $100 million less than last year, after a significant scale back of its work in some areas due to a fall in contributions from countries including the U.S. and Europe. "We are currently in survival mode, deliveri...

August 23, 2024 8:51 PM

UN human rights chief calls for victim-centred implementation as Nepal advances in resolving war-era cases

United Nations Human Rights Chief, Volker Turk, has called for a victim-centred approach in implementing Nepal’s new transitional justice legislation, aimed at addressing the atrocities committed during the country’s civil war. This legislation, Turk emphasized, is crucial for ensuring accountability and fostering reconciliation. "Eighteen years since the end of the decade-long conflict, and after several previous attempts to finalize such legislation, victims of human rights violations are...