The United Nations (UN) General Assembly approved the decision to appoint Volker Türk as High Commissioner for Human Rights for another four years, despite opposition from the US, Russia and Israel. In the vote held on Friday, 144 countries voted in favor, 10 against, and 13 abstained.
The new term, decided on the proposal of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, will begin on October 12, 2026. The General Assembly rejected Russia’s proposal to extend Türk’s term only until December 31, 2026, and the US request to postpone the vote.
US Ambassador for UN Management and Reform Jeff Bartos criticized the decision, saying Guterres had rushed the vote. Bartos warned of “overreach of procedural authority, backroom deals and misuse of UN positions.” He announced that the US would immediately reevaluate its engagement, cooperation and funding to the organization in light of these developments.
Louis Charbonneau, UN Affairs Director at Human Rights Watch, stressed that attacks on human rights worldwide are increasing, and that this situation requires a courageous High Commissioner who can stand up to attempts by major powers like China, Russia and the US to weaken UN human rights bodies.
Austrian Volker Türk has been serving as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since October 2022. He is known for directly criticizing Russia’s war in Ukraine, Israel’s attacks on Gaza, deaths in US migrant detention centers, and tensions between the US and Iran. This outspoken stance is behind the objections of the three countries.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was established in 1993 and plays a critical role in monitoring the human rights situation worldwide and denouncing the rollback of freedoms.
