Volker Türk appointed top UN human rights chief

ABSTRACT

Jan Egeland, the Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, told The Lancet, “As humanitarians, we have high expectations of Volker Türk, especially that his office will be present in the field—with us—so that they can document atrocities, like attacks on hospitals and relief workers, publish them, and push decision makers to end these violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. “Human rights violations in conflict areas—from forced displacement to atrocities to attacks on health facilities and health workers—are such a pervasive feature of conflicts in today's world that they demand greater attention from the High Commissioner for Human Rights, including new forms of collaboration with other UN agencies including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.” Kenneth Roth, former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, told The Lancet, “He has a background as a quiet UN diplomat.