Approves Prince Zeid as rights commissioner

The UN General Assembly’s 193 members unanimously approve Prince Zeid of Jordan as High Commissioner for Human Rights. He replaces the outgoing Pillay. Zeid:

I am going to be the first High Commissioner from the Asian continent and from the Muslim and Arab worlds. Needless to say this reflects the commitment of the international community towards this important dossier and its commitment to push it forward in this continent as well as in other regions of the world.

The mandate includes preventing human rights violations, securing respect for all human rights, promoting international cooperation to protect human rights, coordinating related activities throughout the UN, and strengthening and streamlining the UN system in the field of human rights.