This article was produced by Al Jazeera staff and Reuters.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is a key advocate for global human rights, often challenging governments on their records.

Published On 25 Jul 202625 Jul 2026

Volkur Turk, the outspoken United Nations human rights chief who has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza and across the wider region, has won a vote to serve a second term in his role.

On Friday, 144 UN member states voted in favor, 10 against, and 13 abstained to reappoint Turk as the human rights chief. His term, originally ending October 11, will now be extended by four years.

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If he finishes his second term, he will be the first UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to do so since the post was created in 1993. The United States, Israel, Russia, North Korea and six others opposed his re-election.

Turk said he was “deeply grateful” to be re-elected.

“Human rights are the antidote to today’s turbulence and defeatism. I will give my all for the rights of everyone, everywhere,” he wrote in a social media post.

Turk has angered many in Israel by criticizing the country's war in Gaza and attacks on Lebanon, and by highlighting the 'shameful' lack of accountability for rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian territory.

A lawyer by training, Turk has spent almost his career working in the UN, including posts in the UNHCR, the UN’s dedicated body for refugees.

He has repeatedly urged Israel to comply with international humanitarian law, and said the state is accountable for any violations of human rights that it commits.

The European Union’s delegation at the UN welcomed Turk’s reappointment, saying it looks forward to working with his office to “promote and protect human rights worldwide”.

US and Israeli criticism

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had criticised Turk’s record, saying that under his leadership the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has “erased the atrocities of October 7, misused funds, and betrayed UN neutrality in favor of corrupt political radicalism”.

Israel has been accused by leading rights groups and UN experts of rampant rights abuses, including carrying out a genocide in Gaza.

Jeff Bartos, the US representative for UN Management and Reform, said that the UN human rights system has been losing credibility for decades, that Turk “led it to its deathbed” as Friday’s vote “kicked the bucket”.

The US has been Israel’s top ally and weapons provider.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres faced criticism for how he managed the vote on Turk’s second term.

Guterres, whose term expires in December, sent letters to regional groups at the UN earlier this month informing them of his intention to reappoint Turk, and held the vote just weeks later.

The US Department of State called the rushed vote “another example of the UN’s inherent corruption and incompetence”, saying Turk “turned a blind eye to real atrocities and instead pursued a radical ideological agenda.”

Turk's re-election reflects broad international support for his firm stance on human rights, despite opposition from the US and Israel. His tenure has been marked by strong criticism of Israeli policies in Gaza and the occupied territories, which has been a source of tension. As the first high commissioner to serve two full terms, Turk's continued leadership indicates a sustained focus on accountability. Observers will watch how he navigates relations with major powers while upholding the UN's human rights mandate.