UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon nominated South African judge Navanethem Pillay on Thursday as the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The secretary-general has informed the UN General Assembly of the nomination, his spokesperson Michele Montas said.
Pillay will succeed Louise Arbour of Canada, who completed her five-year term on June 30.
Since 2003, Pillay has served as judge on the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, Netherlands.
Prior to that, she served - as both judge and president - on the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which she joined in 1995.
Montas said that Pillay's nomination was made at the end of "an extensive selection process" which included consultations with member states and with the broad-based nongovernmental organization community.
"The secretary-general is committed to ensure that human rights remain high on the agenda of the organization," Montas said. "He expects that the new High Commissioner will preserve the independence of her Office and will maintain effective working relations with the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council."
Ban is "determined to fully support Ms. Pillay in carrying out her work, including with increased resources, as approved by the General Assembly," she added.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article