United Nations
16 July 2008
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to name his new HighCommissioner for Human Rights as early as this week. The new officialwill replace Louise Arbour who stepped down June 30 after serving afour-year term at the Geneva-based body. From United Nation'sheadquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has the inside trackon the three top candidates.
VOA has learned that the U.N. chief has narrowed his list for the top U.N. human rights post to three candidates.
Theyare Navanethem Pillay, a black South African woman judge on theInternational Criminal Court, Hina Jilani, a female Pakistani lawyerand rights advocate, and Argentinean lawyer Juan Mendez who wastortured and detained as a political prisoner.
A panel,chaired by U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro and composedof some of Mr. Ban's closest advisors has led the search. In theinterest of transparency, the secretary-general has been sharing hisshortlist with diplomats, who have confirmed the names to VOA. OnceMr. Ban announces his pick, the candidate's name will be put before theGeneral Assembly for formal approval.
The new human rights chiefwill be taking over from Canadian Judge, Louise Arbour, who said inMarch that she is leaving the post after one term to spend more timewith her family.
Amnesty International's Senior Deputy ExecutiveDirector, Curt Goering, says whoever the new High Commissioner is theymust possess certain qualities to carry out what he says is one of themost difficult jobs in the world.
"This has to be someone who isa person of the highest integrity and the highest possibleinternational standing," he said. "Someone who should have awell-established record of advocacy on human rights issues, someone whois able to deal directly with governments in quiet diplomacy when thatis called for, and when there are possibilities of achieving resultsthrough quiet discussions, but at the same time be prepared to be vocaland outspoken when that is called for. This person -- he or shee -- hasto really be a human rights champion."
Former High CommissionerLouise Arbour's tenure has generally received high marks from humanrights groups, but was attacked by many governments for her criticismof their rights records.
Israel came under fire for itsmilitary action against Palestinians and its war with Hezbollah in 2006that killed more than a thousand Lebanese civilians. Arbour cited Chinafor its use of the death penalty and said the United States' war onterror was eroding the worldwide ban on torture.
Human Rights Watch's U.N. Advocacy Director Steve Crawshaw says the criticisms are a credit to the good work she has done.
"Inbroadest terms, we would say that we are very happy with what she hasdone, and the criticisms which have been leveled at her do indeedactually confirm the old cliché that the nature of the criticisms is areminder of the toughness of the job and the fact that she did itwell," he said.
Human rights groups say Arbour's successor will face a number of challenges, particularly in regard to the war on terror.
"Thebalance between the pursuit of security and the protection andupholding of fundamental human rights will be a major challenge," saidAmnesty International's Curt Goering.
Advocates say the new HighCommissioner must be independent of politics and able to addressserious human rights abuses wherever they are happening and speak outwithout fear or favor.