United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Lung-chu Chen

The post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was created in 1993 by U.N. General Assembly.  It resulted from the urging of the Vienna Declaration issued at the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights.

The High Commissioner’s authority and responsibility include: to promote civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, including the right of development; to provide advisory services and technical assistance to governments; to coordinate educational and informational activities relating to human rights; to enhance international cooperation for human rights; to remove obstacles to the full realization of human rights for all; to assist in developing new human rights standards and promoting ratification of human rights treaties; and to undertake human rights field activities.  There is plenty of room for creativity and action.

As the focal point for U.N. human rights activities, the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights serves as the secretariat for the Commission on Human Rights and for human rights treaty bodies.  Under the direction and authority of the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner reports to the Commission on Human Rights and through Economic and Social Council to the General Assembly.

The first Commissioner began his work in 1994.  The incumbent Commissioner is Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland.  She has been active, visiting various countries and seeking to establish a dialogue on human rights issues with all Governments.  On March 19, the opening day of the current session of the Commission on Human Rights, she announced that she would not seek another term when her current term expires in September.  In her view, under the present circumstances, she could make more contributions to the cause of human rights, as a human rights advocate rather than as an international official.  It shows the importance of NGOs in human rights matters.

(The writer is Chairman of the Lung-chu Chen New Century Foundation and a Professor at New York Law School.)