UN Commissioner on Human Rights Michelle Bachelet Addresses Current Human Rights Challenges

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On March 31, 2021, the Promise Institute for Human Rights, in co-sponsorship with the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law at American University Washington College of Law, the Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School, the Human Rights Institute at Georgetown Law, the Center for Human Rights and International Justice at Stanford University, the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley School of Law, the Human Rights Center at University of Minnesota Law School, the Center for Security, Race and Rights at Rutgers Law School, and the Schell Center for International Human Rights at Yale Law School, hosted UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, for a conversation on what she considers the most pressing issues in human rights, and how we can most effectively address these as human rights institutes in US law schools.

She addressed COVID-19’s devastating effect on human rights worldwide, especially as regards the poor and disadvantaged groups. She made reference to the situation of women, children and minorities, and highlighted the importance of providing spaces of participation for all. States have the obligation to fight against discrimination based on race, sex, and other grounds. She also highlighted the need to address the environmental challenges as a way to prevent even more adverse human rights impacts. Another issue addressed were digital rights and the need for a better regulation of online companies that handle sensible personal data.

The full presentation and panel discussion is available here. 

High Commissioner Bachelet was the first female President of Chile (2006 – 2010 and 2014 – 2018). She also served as Health Minister (2000-2002) as well as Chile’s and Latin America’s first female Defense Minister (2002 – 2004). During her presidential tenures, she promoted the rights of all but particularly those of the most vulnerable. Among her many achievements, education and tax reforms, and the creation of the National Institute for Human Rights and the Museum of Memory and Human Rights stand out. So do the establishment of the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality, the adoption of quotas to increase women’s political participation, and the approval of Civil Union Act legislation, granting rights to same sex couples and thus, advancing LGBT rights. In 2011, she was named the first Director of UN Women, an organization dedicated to fighting for the rights of women and girls internationally. Economic empowerment and ending violence against women were two of her priorities during her tenure. She has recently pledged to be a Gender Champion, committing to advance gender equality in OHCHR and in international fora.

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