Amnesty chief welcomes renewal of top UN rights official’s mandate

Agnes Callamard says that the UN General Assembly’s decision to approve a second four-year term for Volker Turk comes at a point when his work is as vital as ever. “His mandate is renewed in the midst of massive violations of human rights the world over and increasing attacks against the human rights architecture, threats and pressure and weakening of the multi-lateral system,” Callamard wrote in a post on X. “We call on him to deliver his mandate courageously and independently, tackling all human rights situations without fear and naming and confronting all perpetrators, including when they are powerful states,” she added.