United Nations headquarters

Ms Michelle Bachelet, newly-appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Monday that cooperation between all actors through multilateral institutions could solve the complex challenges that faced the world.

Addressing the opening of the thirty-ninth regular session of the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, Bachelet said the council needed to strive for consensus, and that there should be not only more engagement by all member states, but less disputes or withdrawals so as to sustain its core principles and common goals.

She said the most effective solutions were “grounded in principle and in openness, in collective agreements and coordinated actions”.

Bachelet served as Chile’s president from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018. Bachelet was also the head of UN Women from 2010 to 2013.

According to Bachelet, good governance was based on identifying and amending gaps in access to justice, dignity, and equality so that all could live in more respectful and harmonious societies.

As the new High Commissioner for Human Rights who took office on Sept. 1, Bachelet said she would advocate for the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that were the inherent entitlements of all people.

“Human rights express the core purpose of the UN: we can only attain peace, security and sustainable development for all societies when we advance the dignity and equality of all human beings,” she noted.

“Good doctoring is based on building resilience: strengthening healing processes and intervening to interrupt symptoms of pathology,” she added.

The 39th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council kicked off here on Monday and runs until Sept. 28.

NAN reports that Bachelet took over from Zeid Al-Hussein, whose tenure ended in August.

(Xinhua/NAN)