The two-term Chilean ex-leader and torture survivor will face a host of challenges in her new role. Bachelet's moves will also be closely watched by Israel and the US, who repeatedly criticized her predecessor.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/KEYSTONE/M. Trezzini
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Wednesday that he has chosen Chile's former President Michelle Bachelet to be the next human rights chief.
On Friday, the UN General Assembly will vote on her nomination, which is expected to be approved.
Bachelet was Chile's first female president, serving for two terms from 2006-2010 and 2014-2018. She was also the first head of UN Women, an agency dealing with gender equality that was formed in 2010.
She will succeed Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein as the head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Zeid, who served in the role since 2014, is due to step down from the post on August 31. Criticized by several countries for being too outspoken, Zeid decided not to seek a second term in the post after losing the support of the United States, Russia and China.
Zeid decided not to seek a second term as the UN human rights chiefImage: Reuters/D. Balibouse
Torture survivor
Bachelet is known for being a champion for women's rights in both her work as a politician and earlier career as a pediatrician. She's also familiar with human rights abuses, having experienced them under the Pinochet regime in Chile.
Bachelet's father was a general who opposed August Pinochet's overthrow of President Salvador Allende. Her father was imprisoned for treason and eventually died after months of torture.
Bachelet and her mother were also detained and tortured for weeks before they fled into exile in Australia and later East Germany.
"I was lucky compared to so many others. Many of them died," Bachelet said in the 2014 interview about her ordeal.
Bachelet's administration was rocked by corruption scandals during her second term and she was criticized for corporate tax hikes that were seen as discouraging foreign investment in Chile.
What is the UN Human Rights Council?
In 2006, the United Nations established the Human Rights Council to look into human rights violations across the globe. The council has had its fair share of controversy, mainly due to accusations of anti-Israel bias.
Promote and protect
The United Nations Human Rights Council was established in 2006 to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights. Its purpose is to promote and protect human rights around the world. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it meets three times per year — in March, June and September.
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Members worldwide
The HRC has 47 member countries, with the seats spread throughout five different global regions. The UN General Assembly elects members directly by secret ballot. Elected countries serve three-year terms, and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.
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Addressing human rights issues
The main function of the HRC is to coordinate the UN's human rights activities and promote international cooperation on human rights issues. It has mechanisms in place to process complaints submitted by individuals, groups or NGOs and investigate human rights abuses. The HRC also works closely with the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein.
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Reports and resolutions
HRC resolutions are passed as political expressions of Council members. They are not legally binding, but often carry moral weight and promote "soft law" principles. They cover human rights issues ranging from freedom of expression, to torture, poverty and justice. Resolutions can lead to the creation of a special rapporteur (e.g. in Myanmar) or inquiry committees (e.g. on Syria or North Korea).
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Controversy
In its most recent annual report in 2017, the OHCHR listed a record 29 nation states that took retaliatory action against citizens working to uncover human rights violations. Nine of those countries were actually on the Human Rights Council. Current members accused of violating human rights in the 2018 Human Rights Watch World Report are Venezuela, Rwanda, China, Saudi Arabia and the DR Congo.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Trezzini
Accusations of anti-Israel bias
Israel is the only country with a dedicated item on the Council schedule. Agenda Item 7 has existed since 2007 to discuss rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Britain has called it "disproportionate and damaging to the cause of peace." Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson threatened to vote against all resolutions "unless things change." And another Council member went even further...
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United States withdraws
On June 19, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said Washington was leaving the HRC; the first time a member has quit before its term was up. "For too long the HRC has been a protector of human rights abusers and a cesspool of political bias," Haley said, citing "unrelenting bias" against Israel. A day earlier, the Council denouced the US policy of separating children from their migrant parents.
Image: Reuters/T.S. Jordan
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'One of the world's most difficult jobs'
If confirmed, Bachelet will face scrutiny from several countries whose leaders were called out for human rights abuses by her predecessor Zeid.
Zeid defended his criticism of abuses committed in dozens of countries, saying during a farewell conference last week that the UN office does not "bring shame on governments, they shame themselves."
Bachelet will face scrutiny especially from Israel and the United States, which said Zeid's office unfairly targeted the Israeli government.
Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, advised Bachelet to "avoid the failures of the past." Washington announced its withdrawal from the Human Rights Council in June over its criticism of Israel.
Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, said Bachelet "will be taking on one of the world's most difficult jobs," saying that human rights are currently under threat around the world.
"As a victim herself, she brings a unique perspective to the role of the importance of a vigorous defense of human rights. People worldwide will depend on her to be a public and forceful champion, especially where offenders are powerful," Roth said in a statement.
