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UN human rights chief to return home as term ends
25 Aug, 2022
By Easwaran Rutnam
UN human rights chief Michele Bachelet is to return home as her term ends next week.
The outgoing UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who had turned down a second term in office, said that she will go back home to Chile.
“As a woman and a lifelong feminist, I want to pay particular tribute to women human rights defenders, who have been at the forefront of social movements that have benefitted all of us. They have often been the ones bringing to the table the unheard voices of the most vulnerable. I will continue to stand with you as I return home to Chile,” she told reporters today.
Bachelet, who had raised concerns on the Sri Lanka issue on several occasions, said that the journey to defend human rights never ends and that vigilance against roll-backs of rights is vital.
“To end, I would like to thank you journalists, based here in Geneva and across the globe, for the indispensable work that you do. When we in the UN Human Rights Office raise the alarm, it is crucial that it rings loudly, and this is only possible when the world?s media gets the stories out there,” she added.
Bachelet also urged the international community to continue to support the UN Human Rights Office, the UN human rights treaty bodies, and the UN Special Procedures mechanism.?(Colombo Gazette)
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