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Volker Türk

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Volker Türk (born 27 August 1965) is an Austrian lawyer and United Nations official. He has been the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since October 2022.

Volker Türk
Türk in 2022
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 October 2022
Preceded byMichelle Bachelet
Personal details
Born (1965-08-25) 25 August 1965 (age 59)[1]
Alma mater
OccupationLawyer

Education

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Born in Linz, Austria, he attended the Linz Khevenhuller Gymnasium. Türk received a Master of Laws from the University of Linz.[2] He received a doctorate in international law from the University of Vienna, where his doctoral dissertation was on the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its mandate.[3][4][2]

Career

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Early years

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In 1991, Türk became a UN Junior Professional Officer and had a temporary assignment in Kuwait funded by the Austrian Foreign Ministry. He then held posts with the 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 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; he played a role in the development of the Global Compact on Refugees.[6][2]

On 18 April 2019, Türk was appointed by Secretary-General António Guterres to be Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General at the UN Secretariat.[7][8] From 2021 to 2022, he served as Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office.[9] Türk coordinated UN global policy work and follow-up to the Secretary-General’s “Call to Action for Human Rights” and report, "Our Common Agenda".[10]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

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2022–23

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On 8 September 2022, Türk was selected to be the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.[11][12][13] He assumed office on 17 October 2022.[12] His stated priorities include building a stronger UN human rights presence on the ground, and raising more money for a UN office that he said was underfunded.[14]

In 2023 he led the Human Rights 75 initiative, to advance women's and children's rights, support climate change mitigation, and empower people with disabilities.[15][16] Türk promotes human rights as a solution to new challenges, such as the implications of digital technology on privacy and freedom of expression.[17]

In January 2023, Türk criticized the "expedited removal" border policy of the administration of President Joe Biden and the United States under which illegal alien non-citizens could be removed from the country or denied entry, saying it posed a risk to fundamental rights.[18]

In April 2023, Türk called on Russian authorities to free the longtime Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza who had 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.[19]

In 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.[20] He called on Iranian authorities to abolish the death penalty.[21] In the same month, two days after Iran executed two men for criticizing Islam on social media, Türk announced that Iran would chair the 2023 UN Human Rights Social Forum.[22]

In July 2023, after a man at an authorized protest in Stockholm, Sweden, tore pages from a Quran and set them on fire, Türk condemned the burning.[23] Several western countries and the EU stressed, however, that while the burning had been offensive, blasphemy laws, which punish oral or written statements perceived as an affront to religions or other sacred icons, were clearly a violation of international human rights law and freedom of expression.[23]

2024–present

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In February 2024, Türk criticized what he called India's "increasing restrictions on civic space ... as well as ... hate speech and discrimination against minorities, especially Muslims."[24] India’s Ambassador to the UN at Geneva Arindam Bagchi said that Türk's accusations were "unwarranted and do not reflect the reality of the largest democracy in the world."[24]

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.[25] He also called on China to implement the recommendations in the 2022 UN Human Rights Office report on Xinjiang.[26]

In April 2024, the Arakan Army in Myanamar cautioned that Türk was "stressing the plight of the Muslim community alone," which "means ignoring other non-Muslim groups suffering from the same war," and that it is important for Türk to state that civilians are suffering because of "Muslim extremist groups."[27]

In September 2024, US Senator Tom Cotton wrote a letter to Türk, highlighting Türk's refusal to refusal to call Hamas a terrorist organization even in the wake of its execution of six hostages in Gaza, despite the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Australia, Japan, and the European Union having already done so.[28][29]

During the Israel-Hamas war, Türk said Israel may - if intent were proven - be using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza, which would amount to a war crime; Israel's economy minister, Nir Barkat, said Türk's warnings were "total nonsense - a totally irresponsible thing to say".[30]

Personal life

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Türk lives in Geneva, Switzerland.[2]

Awards

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In May 2016, Türk was awarded the University of Graz Human Rights Award [de] for protecting refugees worldwide and to highlight the role of the UNDCR in supporting refugees.[31]

Publications

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He is published on international refugee law, statelessness and human rights issues including in the International Journal of Refugee Law.[32]

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

References

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  1. ^ "Volker Türk". Munzinger-Archiv.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Nicholson, Frances; Twomey, Patrick (1999). Refugee Rights and Realities (pdf; 319 kB). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. pp. XII. ISBN 0-521-63282-X.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ "University of Graz honours UNHCR efforts". Tiroler Tageszeitung. 10 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Global Compact on Refugees: Thematic discussions". UNHCR. 10 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Volker Türk: Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination, Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG)". un.org.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ Nations, United. "Summit of the Future website". United Nations. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Successor to Bachelet - UN appoints new Commissioner for Human Rights". srf.ch. 9 September 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Volker Türk United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights". ohchr.org. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  13. ^ Emma Farge (8 September 2022), Austria's Turk appointed U.N. human rights chief Reuters.
  14. ^ Cumming-Bruce, Nick (24 November 2022). "Meet the World's New Human Rights Crisis Manager. He Has a Lot to Do". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Human Rights 75 Initiative". OHCHR.
  16. ^ "Human Rights: A Path for Solutions". OHCHR.
  17. ^ "United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner visits San Francisco and Silicon Valley". Austria in USA. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  18. ^ "New US border policy poses risk to fundamental rights, warns UN’s Türk," UN News.
  19. ^ Türk, Volker. "Comment by UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on sentencing of Vladimir Kara-Murza in Russia". United Nations. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  20. ^ "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.
  21. ^ "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.
  22. ^ "United Nations Round-Up: Iran Heads Human Rights Council Assembly, Fails to Condemn Hamas" Daily Citizen.
  23. ^ a b "Volker Türk: Quran burning incident ‘manufactured’ to divide and incite hatred," Geneva Solutions.
  24. ^ a b "Unwarranted: India's strong response to UN Human Rights High Commissioner's comment on electoral process," Deccan Herald.
  25. ^ "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.
  26. ^ "UN rights chief says China committing violations in Xinjiang, Tibet". Reuters. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  27. ^ "AA responds to UN OCHR Chief Volker Türk’s statement," Myanamar News.
  28. ^ "Cotton to UN: Is Hamas a Terrorist Organization," Tom Cotton, September 10, 2024.
  29. ^ " Cotton to UN human rights commissioner: ‘Is Hamas a terrorist organization?’; The Arkansas senator sent a letter requesting an explanation for the unwillingness to acknowledge the Iranian-backed group’s terrorist nature," JNS.
  30. ^ Bowen, Jeremy (28 March 2024). "Gaza starvation could amount to war crime, UN human rights chief tells BBC". BBC. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  31. ^ "Uni Graz verleiht Menschenrechtspreis" [University of Graz awards human rights prize] (in German). orf.at. 13 May 2016.
  32. ^ "Search". academic.oup.com. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
Positions in intergovernmental organisations
Preceded by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
2022–present 		Incumbent
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