The Future of Human Rights – with Volker Türk

In a world marked by war, geopolitical rivalry and shrinking civic space, what is the future of human rights? How can international human rights norms remain credible when they are increasingly contested or violated? And what can be done to safeguard human dignity and the international rule-based order? In conversation with Volker Türk.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk will reflect on the state of human rights worldwide, the importance of the international human rights architecture embodied in the United Nations system, and the pressures posed by conflict, climate change, digital technologies and increasing polarization.

Türk is the current United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He took up his official functions as High Commissioner on 17 October 2022. He has devoted his long and distinguished career to advancing universal human rights, notably the international protection of some of the world’s most vulnerable people – refugees and stateless persons.

Prior to this, Mr. Türk was the Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General where he coordinated global policy work. He also ensured UN system-wide coordination in the follow-up to the Secretary-General’s “Call to Action for Human Rights” and his report, Our Common Agenda, which sets out a vision to tackle the world’s interconnected challenges on foundations of trust, solidarity and human rights. He previously served as Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (2019-2021).