Source: The Daily Star :: Lebanon News
UNITED NATIONS, United States: Jordan’s ambassador to the United Nations has been nominated as UN high commissioner for human rights, to replace South Africa’s outgoing Navi Pillay, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Friday.
Prince Zeid al-Hussein has twice been Jordan’s ambassador at the United Nations in New York and is also a former Jordanian ambassador to the United States.
Pillay, who first took office in September 2008, is due to step down on September 1. Hussein currently represents Jordan on the UN Security Council, where the desert kingdom has a two-year term.
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Jordan, United Nations
Quoting CBC News
The UN secretary-general said Friday he will appoint Jordan’s ambassador as the new high commissioner for human rights, bringing a voice from the Middle East to that post when such rights are under strain in several countries there.
Ban Ki-moon’s office announced that Prince Zeid al Hussein, a longtime diplomat and former UN peacekeeper, has been nominated to replace Navi Pillay.
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Pillay has been a forceful spokeswoman, most recently this week when she was the most prominent UN official to speak out on the 25th anniversary of China’s crushing of pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square, in which hundreds were killed. Ban made no comment this week on the Tiananmen crackdown.
The South African-born Pillay’s term as high commissioner for human rights was extended in 2012 for two years.
The nomination for her successor requires approval by the General Assembly, which is expected.
Prince Zeid, who has been ambassador to both the UN and the United States, announced in late April he would resign as UN ambassador. He has represented Jordan on the Security Council, a rotating council seat that expires at the end of 2015.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/prince-zeid-al-hussein-of-jordan-tapped-to-be-un-human-rights-chief-1.2668097