UN chief appoints Chile's Claudia Fuentes Julio as assistant secretary-general for human rights

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - UN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday announced the appointment of Claudia Fuentes Julio of Chile as assistant secretary-general for human rights and head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in New York.

Fuentes Julio succeeds Ilze Brands Kehris of Latvia, to whom Guterres and High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk "are deeply grateful for her contribution" as she ensured "a solid anchoring of the human rights pillar within the UN," particularly regarding "the peace and security and the development pillars," a statement by the UN said.

The assistant secretary-general for human rights leads the OHCHR's New York office, advising and representing the high commissioner in New York-based fora.

Currently serving as Chile's permanent representative to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva, Fuentes Julio brings more than two decades of experience in international relations, multilateral diplomacy, and human rights, according to the statement.

She has also held senior leadership roles, including vice-president of the Human Rights Council and chair of the Governing Body of the International Labor Organization.