An author of this article is an advocate (Aman Kumar Sharma) at Managium Juris LLP
"I am very pleased that the General Assembly has confirmed the
nomination of Michelle Bachelet as United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights," Guterres told reporters after approving the appointment
of former President of Chile unanimously by the 193 Member States of the
United Nations.
The Secretary-General assured that Bachelet was a "formidable" figure
in his country and in his work with the United Nations as Executive
Director of UN Women.
"In her country, she has experienced the summits and depths of being
the first woman to serve as president of the country, but also as a
survivor of the brutality of the authorities who have attacked her and
her family for many years. decades. She was also a pioneer at the UN,
the chief executive of UN Women, giving this new entity a dynamic and
inspiring start, "he said.
Guterres said he could not think of "a better choice" for the post,
in this year of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, while Michele Bachelet lived in the darkness of the
dictatorship and as a physician she has experienced challenges for
people in need of health services, as well as other social and economic
rights. In addition, the former President has experience as a national
and global leader.
"She takes office at a moment of great importance for human rights,"
said the UN chief, as hatred and inequality increase and respect for
human rights declines that the space of civil society is shrinking and
that the freedom of the press is under pressure.
"To navigate these currents, we need a powerful advocate of all human
rights: civil, political, economic, social and cultural. We need
someone who can guarantee the integrity of the necessary mechanisms.
United Nations human rights, "he said.
