He is currently Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein, Permanent Representative of Jordan to the United Nations has been recently appointed to be the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations, where succeeds Ms. Navi Pillay of South Africa, which held that position for six years.

Standing ovation of the participants during Closing Ceremony of the End of Tenure of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay at the 26th Session of the Human Rights Council. 27 June 2014. Flickr / Jean-Marc Ferré (UN Photo). Some Rights Reserved.

Is expected to be led by the High Commissioner of the United Nations towards the protection of human rights at the international level while also supporting the work of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations to respond to the demands politically oriented. By reporting to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, is also expected to represent the independent voice of the High Commissioner was able to express his opinions, even if (or especially when) it is inappropriate for the United Nations. He worked hard to balance it and guide it has not been able yet any High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations to complete his term, a specific full eight years. Thus, instead of rushing to issue judgments about the completion of the term of office, it may be more constructive and positive to look forward. What should be the key priorities for Prince Zeid?

This initial list of everything that should and should not be done to the Commissioner:

1. The pursuit of  greater public image . The real power of the functions of the High Commissioner is to raise the moral authority of the office, and in order to achieve this, the vision and clarity essential thing between governments and the media, especially among local and regional networks and the growing international seeking to change. The High Commissioner and the High Commissioner for Human Rights has a media presence (especially in social networks) is much weaker than the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) or the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. As the High Commissioner for Human Rights undertake tasks even greater significance equal to or greater, it is difficult to defend him or stand on its causes.

2. Linked item to item (1) above where they should put the development of  a dynamic communication strategy  for the work of UNHCR and specialized hardware numerous UN-backed. Can dwell on this, but anyone who tried to get by on a special report to the United Nations about a particular state of the  site of the High Commissioner for Human Rights-mail  will realize the magnitude of the problem immediately. The site, which would serve as the main center for information and international debates on human rights issues is the gateway novice incomprehensible and boring largely addressed to the bureaucracy and the UN talks. Information is the key to most of the problems inherent in the field of human rights, although the High Commissioner for Human Rights does not facilitate access to that information.     

3. Do not despair of  the reform of the human rights treaty bodies of the United Nations , its role is very important. However, the efforts completed recently over several years aimed at improving the performance of these devices and reflected in the  decision of the General Assembly of the United Nations  , issued recently, those efforts leave these devices need to be more of renewal and recovery at best (and at worst, non-recovery the event of a new crisis). The fact that the former High Commissioner has achieved very little despite the efforts may encourage the prestigious and even tempt Halifaa avoiding this file, but it would be a mistake. There is a need for independent thinking and bold about the treaty bodies and the controversy, that previous efforts did not see a lot of all three organs (which may be one of the reasons for its failure). 

4.  communicate with the authorities without international.  devices are treaty bound to deal with the authorities of the countries of central: the Departments of State and Justice and Home Affairs, but nothing prevents the High Commissioner of communication with the authorities at the provincial, regional, local and municipal elections, which are the tasks and responsibilities in many areas of the public to realize the rights of rights, such as policy development, housing, land and real estate, health, water and other basic services, labor disputes and many others. For the majority of people, the central government far and urbanization and other trends will further widen the gap.       

5. Strive towards the goal of increasing the staff of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, but without an increase in Geneva. Topics debate in the Human Rights Council are important but conflicts real human rights taking place in other places,  and the staff needs of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the presence on the ground.  needs a new High Commissioner to mobilize the efforts of his predecessors to build a local presence in the regions and major countries. He should also accelerate efforts to redress the   imbalance in the staff of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations , where five percent of them come from the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and fifty percent almost come from Western Europe and North America.     

6 .. should worry less about the introduction of human rights at the heart of the United Nations system, should also be concerned more about  the development of the affairs of human rights on the agenda of the work of the relevant authorities of impact and influence , and that control the financial and economic policy and international orientation, including the Group of Seven / Eight and Group of Twenty and the International Monetary Fund and private networks of influence growing in importance, such as the Davos forum and a Blderberg and many others. Even though embraced the entire UN system of human rights in full, this would not be a great importance for the way in which exercise their power and influence in the world. 

7. Do not fall victim to the idea of "finishing" supposed human rights, namely the idea that the inevitable result of the influence of western deteriorating. The transfer of global power  presents both risks and opportunities   for the development of human rights protection is only one of the global trends in the many, where trends include other growth prominent in the middle class on a global level and high levels of education, global distribution and increased access to information through online sources, all of which indicate  interest growing human rights , and in new places. The challenge for the new High Commissioner is not supposed to stop the deterioration, but stand on the best ways to encourage the next direction of attention to human rights, composition and adoption.

8. Finally, do not advertise in the first speech as did former High Commissioner that "the era of the development of standards is over and the time for implementation." Unlike the surface of this Declaration, it is wrong to believe that the process of development and the development of international legal standards can be frozen, especially in such an area active, such as the protection of human rights, and also reduces the importance of the implementation effort Avenue that has been done over several decades, also hinder the Commissioner High Commissioner for seeing the need to look forward and seek actively and effectively towards the reform and development of laws , rather than just responding to offers and suggestions of others.

This article was first published on the  OGR Blog  on June 7, 2014.