Key facts
- The UN General Assembly voted to extend the mandate of UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk for four years.
- The extension was approved despite opposition from Russia, Israel, and the United States.
- A Russian proposal for a shorter, two-month extension was overwhelmingly rejected.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres put forward the proposal for Turk's reappointment.
- Turk's current term is set to expire in October.
The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted to extend the mandate of UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk for an additional four years. The decision faced opposition from Russia, Israel, and the United States. A counter-proposal from Russia, which sought to extend Turk's term by just over two months to the end of 2026, was defeated by a large majority of the 193-member assembly. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres put forward the proposal for Turk's reappointment. Turk's current four-year term is set to expire in October. Criticism of Turk's tenure has been voiced by groups like UN Watch and former Human Rights Watch chief Kenneth Roth, who argue that Turk has been selectively silent on human rights abuses by certain regimes while disproportionately criticizing democracies. They have called for a more public debate on his reappointment.