Founding of Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is the part of the United Nations Secretariat that promotes and protects human rights. It was created by the General Assembly in December 1993, after the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna had called for a high-level post to coordinate such work. The High Commissioner is appointed by the secretary-general, and the first holder was José Ayala-Lasso of Ecuador. The office is based in Geneva, supports the UN Human Rights Council and the committees that monitor human rights treaties, and has field offices in many countries. It investigates and publicly reports on abuses, and advises governments.

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