High Commissioners For Human Rights
| Name | Country | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| José Ayala-Lasso | Ecuador | 1994–1997 | |
| Mary Robinson | Ireland | 1997–2002 | Term was not renewed by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan |
| Sérgio Vieira de Mello | Brazil | 2002–2003 | Killed in the Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad on 19 August 2003 |
| Bertrand Ramcharan | Guyana | 2003–2004 | Acting High Commissioner |
| Louise Arbour | Canada | 2004–2008 | Did not seek a second term |
| Navanethem Pillay | South Africa | 1 September 2008 - 31 August 2014 | Her mandate was extended for an additional half term (two years) by the General Assembly on 1 September 2012 |
On 24 July 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon nominated Navanethem Pillay to succeed Louise Arbour as High Commissioner for Human Rights. The United States reportedly resisted her appointment at first, because of her views on abortion and other issues, but eventually dropped its opposition. Campaign group avaaz.org had also run a high profile campaign calling for greater transparency in the appointment, including a blog site and a spoof job advertisement in the Economist. At a special meeting on 28 July 2008, the UN General Assembly confirmed the nomination by consensus. Her four-year term began on 1 September 2008. Pillay says the High Commissioner is "the voice of the victim everywhere".
Read more about this topic: Office Of The United Nations High Commissioner For Human Rights
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