Volker Turk has worked in major UN offices for decades. (EPA Images pic)GENEVA: UN human rights chief Volker Turk, an outspoken critic of Russia's war in Ukraine and Israel's conduct in Gaza, faces opposition from both countries to a second four-year term ahead of a potentially contentious vote on Friday, diplomats told Reuters.Turk, a lawyer who has worked for the UN for decades in major offices such as Geneva and field locations including Kosovo, ends his first four-year term in October.UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, who has worked closely with Turk in the past and who steps down in December, has proposed another term for the Austrian until 2030.However, Russia has submitted a counter-proposal to extend his term by just over two months, until the end of 2026, according to a copy seen by Reuters. Three diplomats said Israel also opposed a four-year extension and that Washington had raised doubts, turning what had been expected to be a consensus-backed reappointment into a contentious vote.Others have also privately questioned another full term, saying the matter should instead be determined by Guterres' successor.
"It's up to the next SG," one diplomat said.Asked to comment, Russia's UN mission in New York agreed."Mr. Turk's reappointment for four years deprives the new secretary-general of the opportunity to make his/her own choice for such an important post for a long period," it said. "It is an arbitrary idea given the sensitivity of the human rights architecture and its role in the United Nations in general."The mission said the view was shared by "many" UN states and added: "We'll see tomorrow how many of them will be ready to openly state their position without fear of reprisals."Since the vote is in the UN General Assembly, the veto powers held by Russia and the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council - China, the US, Britain and France - do not apply.Israel's mission and the US state department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.When asked about his reappointment earlier this week, a spokesman for Turk's office, Thameen Al-Kheetan, declined comment, adding: "I believe the High Commissioner is ready to serve."Defender of freedomsThe high commissioner, a post created in 1993, plays a critical role in speaking out against the backsliding of freedoms at a time when autocracies are gaining influence at the expens…
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