Austria's Volker Türk new UN human rights chief

A week after Michelle Bachelet stepped down as the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, the intergovernmental organisation has approved Austrian diplomat Volker Türk to take on the challenging job.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres forwarded the name of Türk, 57, Wednesday to the General Assembly, which approved the appointment without a vote Thursday.

Guterres said in a statement that Türk had "devoted his long and distinguished career to advancing universal human rights, notably the protection of some of the world's most vulnerable people – refugees and stateless persons."

He also cited Türk's work for the UN refugee agency in countries like Kosovo, Bosnia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Most recently working in Guterres' office as under-secretary-general for policy, Turk now faces unrelenting opposing pressures from governments and activists while reacting to the realities of the human rights situation.

From 2019 to 2021, Türk served as assistant secretary-general for strategic coordination in the UN chief's Executive Office.

Before that, he was the assistant high commissioner for protection at UN refugees, UNHCR, in Geneva – from 2015 to 2019 – where he played a key role in the development of the landmark Global Compact on Refugees.

Throughout his career, Türk held several key positions, including at UNHCR headquarters where he served from 2009 to 2015 as director of the Division of International Protection; from 2008 to 2009 as director of Organizational Development and Management; and from 2000 to 2004 as chief of Section, Protection Policy and Legal Advice, reports UNB.