Jürg Lauber becomes new Chairman of the UN Human Rights Council
Published: Monday, Dec 9th 2024, 17:50
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Ambassador Jürg Lauber will be the first Swiss to chair the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva in 2025. Lauber was elected President by acclamation by the member states on Monday and will hold office for one year.
Switzerland will return to the Council in January for a three-year term, after having been absent for six years. In the almost 20 years since its inception, the main human rights body of the United Nations, which has always consisted of 47 of the 193 UN members, has never been chaired by a Swiss representative.
No other state from Switzerland's regional bloc has contested Jürg Lauber's candidacy. "It is a great honor and an immense responsibility. But above all it is an opportunity for Switzerland," the 61-year-old from Zug and current Swiss ambassador to the UN in Geneva told the Keystone-SDA news agency.
Among his various plans, he particularly wants to "regain the space for diplomacy". This in a Council that is plagued by political tensions and in which informal talks, "which are so important for building consensus", have diminished since the Covid-19 pandemic. "If I can bring a Swiss touch and a role as a bridge builder, I would have already achieved one of my goals."
While three of the permanent representative states of the UN Security Council in New York were also members of the Human Rights Council this year alongside Russia, the USA will no longer be represented on the Council in 2025. "They have been very active in the Council in recent years. We will certainly miss them. But other member states are also very committed. It is still too early to predict what the dynamic will look like next year," said Lauber.
Concern for available resources
He also does not want to speculate on the possible effects that Donald Trump's new term in office could have on international Geneva. However, in view of the liquidity crises that have recently been observed at the United Nations, the ambassador makes no secret of his concern. He will do his utmost to obtain the necessary resources.
Lauber wants to help make the Council's working methods more efficient. Following discussions in recent years, he will test some new approaches during his presidency. "We will not be able to avoid the need to concentrate resources where the Council can have the greatest impact," he explained. This is because the increase in human rights violations around the world is pushing the workload to its limits.
For several years now, and increasingly since the war in Ukraine and the war in the Gaza Strip, the West has repeatedly been accused of applying double standards when it comes to human rights. These accusations are regularly leveled at the Council. For Lauber, this issue must not be taboo.
Continuity by mandate in the UN Security Council
However, he believes that the body, whose mandate is to prevent and respond to human rights violations in the world, works "quite well" and contributes to the protection of these rights. And the fact that states agree to discuss this together in Geneva is also important, especially for the victims. "But of course countries don't necessarily like being the subject of discussions, there is a certain inhibiting element," he conceded.
In recent years, more and more investigations have been carried out on behalf of the Council, but the violations have not stopped. "Justice for crimes committed is very important for the future of a society. These documented reports will be of great interest in due course," says Lauber.
Switzerland will be able to capitalize on its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. "There is a certain continuity with the Swiss goals announced in New York on the protection of civilians, sustainable peace, the impact of climate change and the effectiveness of the UN. They all resonate in the Human Rights Council," said Lauber.
©Keystone/SDA
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