The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News , Images | OHCHR
Arrival of new UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk at Palais Wilson
STORY: Arrival of new UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk at Palais Wilson
TRT: 03:23
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 17-10-2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior shots: Palais Wilson, Geneva.
- Various exterior shot: Arrival of HC Volker Türk through the gates of Palais Wilson greeted by UN Human rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani
- Various shots interior: Arriving at his office in Palais Wilson.
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “It's very important at this point in time to have a very strong focus on human rights.”
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Let's not forget, it's one of the fundamental pillars of the United Nations, apart from peace and security and sustainable development. It comes at a very critical point in time when we have seen so many divisions around the world, but also incredible pushback on gender issues, on civic space issues, on the utter contempt for human life in warfare – just recently, now, as we speak, what's happening in Ukraine, but also in places like Ethiopia and elsewhere. For me, it's very important in the exercise of my responsibilities to be guided by the impact that we can have on people's lives and how they interact with each other, how they interact with nature and with future generations. That's incredibly important.”
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “I will also be guided by the Charter of the United Nations, by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, by all these incredible achievements of humanity, the different human rights, normative instruments that have been established.”
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “For me, human rights is a common language of humanity. It unifies us. It is not meant to divide us. I think that's a very important message and we need to strive together. Working with yourselves, with Member States, with governments, with civil society organizations, with parliamentarians, with faith leaders, to advance this extremely important cause that we all believe in, because ultimately it affects all our lives, and we need to respect that very much.”
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “So, thank you very much and look forward to working with you.”
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Protection of media and journalists is incredibly important for me, and I will be putting a particular emphasis on that. It's very important at this point in time to have a very strong focus on human rights.”
- Medium shots: UN High Commissioner Volker Türk at his desk.
SCRIPT
Volker Türk began his four-year mandate as the eighth United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, this morning at the Palais Wilson in Geneva.
“It's very important at this point in time to have a very strong focus on human rights,” the High Commissioner stated.
“Let's not forget, it's one of the fundamental pillars of the United Nations, apart from peace and security and sustainable development. It comes at a very critical point in time when we have seen so many divisions around the world, but also incredible pushback on gender issues, on civic space issues, on the utter contempt for human life in warfare – just recently now and as we speak, what's happening in Ukraine, but also in places like Ethiopia and elsewhere. For me, it's very important in the exercise of my responsibilities to be guided by the impact that we can have on people's lives and how they interact with each other, how they interact with nature and with future generations. That's incredibly important,” he added.
“I will also be guided by the Charter of the United Nations, by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, by all these incredible achievements of humanity, the different human rights, normative instruments that have been established,” Türk said.
Adding “For me, human rights is a common language of humanity. It unifies us. It is not meant to divide us. I think that's a very important message and we need to strive together. Working with yourselves, with Member States, with governments, with civil society organizations, with parliamentarians, with faith leaders to advance this extremely important cause that we all believe in, because ultimately it affects all our lives, and we need to respect that very much.”
“So, thank you very much and look forward to working with you.”
And in conclusion “Protection of media and journalists is incredibly important for me, and I will be putting a particular emphasis on that. It's very important at this point in time to have a very strong focus on human rights.”
For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Geneva: Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org
Similar Stories
2
1
1
Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC
Senior human rights investigators reporting to the Human Rights Council alleged on Thursday that sexual and gender-based violence by Israeli security forces against Palestinian men, women and children have been increasingly used “as a method of war” following the 7 October 2023 attacks that sparked the Gaza war.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Bangladesh: Humanitarians describe ‘extreme desperation’ as aid cuts deepen Rohingya children’s suffering
In Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar refugee settlements, child malnutrition has surged and cuts in aid funding risk creating a humanitarian “catastrophe”, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday gave an update on the situation in Syria’s coastal region as reports continue to emerge of the distressing scale of violence there since 6 March.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR
The aid response in Burundi to the crisis in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) “is literally buckling”, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned on Friday, as it relayed dramatic testimonies from people forced to flee the unchecked advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR
Close to 80,000 have fled DR Congo amid fighting, sexual violence: UNHCR
In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), insecurity and horrific sexual violence have pushed tens of thousands to flee across borders with no sign of the exodus stopping, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his global update to the Human Rights Council, highlighting key issues and trends, and the human rights situation in more than 30 countries.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that the human rights situation in Myanmar was among the worst in the world.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Haiti: Massive surge in child armed group recruitment – UNICEF
The ongoing emergency in Haiti is crushing children’s chances of an education and a better future as scores of youngsters are recruited by heavily armed and violent gangs, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk today called on UN member states to act with urgency towards a ceasefire and to ease the suffering of the Sudanese people.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“We are at an inflection point in the crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | HRC
Investigators tasked by the UN Human Rights Council to track alleged grave abuses of power by top Nicaraguan officials on Wednesday insisted that the International Court of Justice should prosecute what they called the systematic and systemic repression of the country’s people.
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Gaza: Polio campaign reaches target, additional medical corridors needed, says WHO
The second mass polio vaccination campaign in Gaza has reached almost 548,000 children under the age of 10, according to the UN health agency (WHO). That represents 92 per cent of the 591,000 due to be vaccinated, said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, Representative of the World Health Organization in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT) to journalists in Geneva via videolink from Gaza.