Published on: 2026-07-24
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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24 July 2026 UN
The UN General Assembly on Friday approved the proposal of Secretary-General António Guterres to reappoint the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk for a new four-year term. The decision was made after several votes on alternative proposals that did not receive majority support from the states.
144 countries voted for extending Türke’s mandate for four years. 10 countries opposed, and 13 delegations abstained.
Before the final vote, the General Assembly considered two alternative initiatives. First, the United States proposed postponing the decision until the end of next week. However, this initiative did not receive the necessary support: 27 states voted in favor, 63 against, and 47 delegations abstained.
Then Russia submitted its own draft resolution, proposing to extend the mandate of the High Commissioner only until December 31, 2026 — that is, until the end of the current term of the UN Secretary-General. The Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, Dmitry Chumakov, explained his country’s position by saying that a new Secretary-General will lead the UN from January 2027. “The issue is that without taking into account the opinion of the future Secretary-General, they want to confirm in office his deputy, who will bear primary responsibility for the UN’s activities in the most important human rights area, thereby depriving the future Secretary-General of the opportunity to realize his own vision and to form a team of his choice for many years ahead,” the Russian diplomat noted.
This proposal was also put to a vote, but it was rejected. Nineteen states voted in favor, 71 against, and 52 countries abstained.
After this, the General Assembly approved the Secretary-General’s initial proposal to appoint Volker Türk for a full four-year term. The new mandate will begin on October 12, 2026.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Volker Türk from Austria has been serving as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since October 2022. According to General Assembly resolution 48/141, the High Commissioner is appointed by the Secretary-General and approved by the General Assembly for a term of four years, with the possibility of one reappointment for an additional four years.
The High Commissioner is the United Nations’ chief official in the field of human rights. He leads the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), advises the Secretary-General on human rights policy issues, represents the UN head at relevant international events, and coordinates the work of the entire human rights system of the organization.
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