U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to name his new High
Commissioner for Human Rights as early as this week. The new official
will replace Louise Arbour who stepped down June 30 after serving a
four-year term at the Geneva-based body. From United Nation's
headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has the inside track
on the three top candidates.
VOA has learned that the U.N. chief has narrowed his list for the top U.N. human rights post to three candidates.
They
are Navanethem Pillay, a black South African woman judge on the
International Criminal Court, Hina Jilani, a female Pakistani lawyer
and rights advocate, and Argentinean lawyer Juan Mendez who was
tortured and detained as a political prisoner.
A panel,
chaired by U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro and composed
of some of Mr. Ban's closest advisors has led the search. In the
interest of transparency, the secretary-general has been sharing his
shortlist with diplomats, who have confirmed the names to VOA. Once
Mr. Ban announces his pick, the candidate's name will be put before the
General Assembly for formal approval.
The new human rights chief
will be taking over from Canadian Judge, Louise Arbour, who said in
March that she is leaving the post after one term to spend more time
with her family.
Amnesty International's Senior Deputy Executive
Director, Curt Goering, says whoever the new High Commissioner is they
must possess certain qualities to carry out what he says is one of the
most difficult jobs in the world.
"This has to be someone who is
a person of the highest integrity and the highest possible
international standing," he said. "Someone who should have a
well-established record of advocacy on human rights issues, someone who
is able to deal directly with governments in quiet diplomacy when that
is called for, and when there are possibilities of achieving results
through quiet discussions, but at the same time be prepared to be vocal
and outspoken when that is called for. This person -- he or shee -- has
to really be a human rights champion."
Former High Commissioner
Louise Arbour's tenure has generally received high marks from human
rights groups, but was attacked by many governments for her criticism
of their rights records.
Israel came under fire for its
military action against Palestinians and its war with Hezbollah in 2006
that killed more than a thousand Lebanese civilians. Arbour cited China
for its use of the death penalty and said the United States' war on
terror was eroding the worldwide ban on torture.
Human Rights Watch's U.N. Advocacy Director Steve Crawshaw says the criticisms are a credit to the good work she has done.
"In
broadest terms, we would say that we are very happy with what she has
done, and the criticisms which have been leveled at her do indeed
actually confirm the old cliché that the nature of the criticisms is a
reminder of the toughness of the job and the fact that she did it
well," he said.
Human rights groups say Arbour's successor will face a number of challenges, particularly in regard to the war on terror.
"The
balance between the pursuit of security and the protection and
upholding of fundamental human rights will be a major challenge," said
Amnesty International's Curt Goering.
Advocates say the new High
Commissioner must be independent of politics and able to address
serious human rights abuses wherever they are happening and speak out
without fear or favor.
