What concerns, if any, does the Government hold about the process by which Secretary-General António Guterres nominated Volker Türk for a second term as High Commissioner for Human Rights, and to what extent did any such process concerns, as distinct from concerns about Mr Türk personally, inform New Zealand's abstention on 24 July 2026?

Answer

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade took the decison to abstain on Mr Turk's appointment for process reasons and not because of any views about the merits of the candidate. I was briefed on MFAT's decision to abstain after it was taken. Our view is that the Secreatary General's proposal to reappoint Volker Turk as High Commissioner for Human Rights was unusual for two reasons: - It was the first time that a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a position which has existed since the 1990s, has been re-appointed for a full, second four-year term. - The re-appointment was made while the process to replace Mr Guterres as UN Secretary-General was already underway. Mr Guterres, by nominating Mr Turk for a full, four-year second term was in effect tying the hands of his successor.