Volker Türk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Volker Türk
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Türk in 2022
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| United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights | |
| Assumed office 17 October 2022 |
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| Secretary-General | António Guterres |
| Preceded by | Michelle Bachelet |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 August 1965 |
| Alma mater | University of Linz University of Vienna |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Volker Türk (born 27 August 1965) is a lawyer and official from Austria. He works for the United Nations. Since October 2022, he has been the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. This means he leads the UN's efforts to protect and promote human rights around the world.
Contents
Education and Early Life
Volker Türk was born in Linz, Austria. He studied law at the University of Linz, where he earned a master's degree. Later, he received a doctorate in international law from the University of Vienna. His special studies focused on the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This organization helps people who have been forced to leave their homes.
Working for the United Nations
Helping Refugees Worldwide
Volker Türk started working for the UN in 1991. He worked in many different countries, helping refugees. These places included Malaysia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He later became a director at the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 2015, he became the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection. This made him the highest-ranking Austrian official at the UN at that time. He helped create the Global Compact on Refugees. This is an agreement that aims to improve how the world responds to large movements of refugees.
Leading UN Policy
In 2019, UN Secretary-General António Guterres chose Türk to be an Assistant Secretary-General. In this role, he helped coordinate important plans and strategies for the UN. From 2021 to 2022, he was the Under-Secretary-General for Policy. He helped guide the UN's global policy work. He also worked on the Secretary-General's "Call to Action for Human Rights" and a report called "Our Common Agenda". These projects aim to make the world a better place for everyone.
UN Human Rights Chief
On 8 September 2022, Volker Türk was chosen for a very important job: the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He started this role on 17 October 2022.
His main goals include:
- Making the UN's human rights work stronger in different countries.
- Getting more money for the UN human rights office, which he believes needs more support.
In 2023, he led a project called Human Rights 75. This project worked to improve rights for women and children. It also supported efforts to fight climate change and help people with disabilities. Türk believes that human rights can help solve new problems, like how digital technology affects privacy and freedom of speech.
Personal Life
Volker Türk lives in Geneva, Switzerland.
Awards
In May 2016, Volker Türk received the Human Rights Award from the University of Graz. He earned this award for his work protecting refugees around the world. It also recognized the important role of the UNHCR in helping people who have been forced to flee their homes.
See also
In Spanish: Volker Türk para niños
