Volker Türk

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Volker Türk
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Assumed office
17 October 2022
Preceded byMichelle Bachelet
Personal details
Born1965 (age 58–59)
Alma mater
OccupationLawyer

Volker Türk (born 1965)[1] is an Austrian lawyer and United Nations official. He has been the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights since 17 October 2022.[2]

Education[edit]

Born in Linz, Türk received a Master of Laws from the University of Linz and a doctorate in international law from the University of Vienna, Austria.[3][1] His doctoral dissertation at the University of Vienna was on the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and its mandate and was published by Duncker & Humblot, Berlin in 1992.[4]

Career[edit]

In 1991, Türk became a Junior Professional Officer at the UN and had a temporary assignment in Kuwait funded by the Austrian Foreign Ministry. He then held various posts with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in different regions of the world, including Malaysia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He later became the Director of the Division of International Legal Protection at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.[5] In February 2015, he was appointed Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, making him the highest-ranking Austrian UN official.[1]

On 18 April 2019, Türk was appointed by Secretary-General António Guterres to succeed Fabrizio Hochschild Drummond as Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General at the UN Secretariat.[6][7]

From 2021 to 2022, Türk served as Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General.[8]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2022–present[edit]

On 8 September 2022, following the favourable vote of the General Assembly, Türk was selected to succeed Michelle Bachelet of Chile as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;[9][2] at the time, the other candidates included Federico Villegas and Adama Dieng.[10] He assumed office on 17 October 2022.

On 17 April 2023, Türk called on Russian authorities to free the longtime Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza who has been sentenced to a 25-year prison sentence on charges including treason. The sentence is "another blow to the rule of law and civic space in the Russian Federation", said Türk.[11]

On 9 May 2023, Türk said Iran in that year had an "abominable" track record of executions with an average of more than 10 people hanged each week[12] and called on Iranian authorities to abolish the death penalty.[13]

In March 2024, Türk said he recognised "China's advances in alleviating poverty and advancing development" and urged the release of human rights defenders, lawyers and others detained under the “picking quarrels and making trouble” legislation.[14] He also called on China to implement the recommendations in the 2022 UN Human Rights Office report on Xinjiang.[15]

During the Israel-Hamas war, Türk said Israel may be using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza, which would amount to a war crime.[16]

Personal life[edit]

Türk lives in Geneva.[1]

Awards[edit]

In May 2016, Türk was awarded the Human Rights Award of the University of Graz.[17]

Publications[edit]

  • Erika Feller, Volker Türk, Frances Nicholson (eds.): Refugee Protection in International Law. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2003, ISBN 0-521-53281-7.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Heidi Riepl (14 February 2015). "Volker Türk: From Linz to the Top of the UN". Oberösterreichische Nachrichten. Archived from the original on 14 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Volker Türk United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights". ohchr.org. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  3. ^ "OHCHR | Volker Türk". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  4. ^ Nicholson, Frances; Twomey, Patrick (1999). Refugee Rights and Realities (pdf; 319 kB). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. pp. XII. ISBN 0-521-63282-X.
  5. ^ "University of Graz honours UNHCR efforts". Tiroler Tageszeitung. 10 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Volker Türk: Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination, Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG)". un.org.
  7. ^ "Mr. Volker Türk of Austria - Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General". un.org. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday appointed Volker Türk of Austria as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, following approval by the General Assembly". UN News. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  9. ^ "Successor to Bachelet - UN appoints new Commissioner for Human Rights". srf.ch. 9 September 2022.
  10. ^ Emma Farge (8 September 2022), Austria's Turk appointed U.N. human rights chief Reuters.
  11. ^ Türk, Volker. "Comment by UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on sentencing of Vladimir Kara-Murza in Russia". United Nations. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Iran says it executes four people accused of links to Israel's Mossad". Al Jazeera. 29 December 2023. In May, United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk said Iran had an "abominable" track record of executions in 2023 with an average of more than 10 people hanged each week.
  13. ^ "Iran: "Frightening" number of executions as Türk calls for end to death penalty". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 9 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Türk's global update to the Human Rights Council". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 4 March 2024. Dialogue between China and my Office continues in areas such as counterterrorism policies, gender equality, minority protection, civic space, and economic, social and cultural rights. As we move forward, it is important that this dialogue yield concrete results, notably in respect of the policy areas raised during the Universal Periodic Review. I recognise China's advances in alleviating poverty and advancing development, and I have urged that these advances be accompanied by reforms to align relevant laws and policies with international human rights standards. During the UPR, China announced plans to adopt 30 new measures for human rights protection, including amendments to the Criminal Law, and revisions of the Criminal Procedure Law. My Office looks forward to engaging with China on this; I particularly encourage revision of the vague offence of "picking quarrels and making trouble" in Article 293 of the Criminal Law, and I urge the release of human rights defenders, lawyers and others detained under such legislation. I also call on the Government to implement the recommendations made by my Office and other human rights bodies in relation to laws, policies and practises that violate fundamental rights, including in the Xinjiang and Tibet regions.
  15. ^ "UN rights chief says China committing violations in Xinjiang, Tibet". Reuters. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  16. ^ Bowen, Jeremy (28 March 2024). "Gaza starvation could amount to war crime, UN human rights chief tells BBC". BBC. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  17. ^ "University of Graz awards human rights award". orf.at. 13 May 2016.
Positions in intergovernmental organisations
Preceded by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
2022–present 		Incumbent


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