The UN can't afford another appeaser: Why Michelle Bachelet must not lead - opinion

As the race for the next United Nations secretary-general intensifies, with the first international candidate debate set for June 9, concerns are being raised about Michelle Bachelet's suitability for the role. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum has endorsed Bachelet, the former president of Chile and UN high commissioner for human rights, as an "ideal person" for the position. However, critics argue that Bachelet's tenure as the UN's top human rights official was marked by a failure to consistently challenge major dictatorships.

A review by UN Watch, titled "Blind Eye to Dictatorships," documented a pattern of selective criticism during Bachelet's four-year term. While she did speak out against abuses in countries like Myanmar, Sudan, and Belarus, and on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the report claims she remained largely silent on repressive regimes including China, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia. Specific issues like political prisoners, religious persecution, forced hijab laws, antisemitic violence, and China's mass detention of Uyghurs reportedly received little attention until the final moments of her mandate.

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the ideal person to lead the United Nations

Conversely, the review suggests Bachelet directed more stand-alone condemnations toward democratic nations such as Israel and the United States than toward many of the world's most severe human rights abusers. This approach, critics argue, created a troubling double standard, leaving victims of dictatorships without a consistent champion. The article highlights Bachelet's delayed release of the UN's Xinjiang report, despite overwhelming evidence of China's mass detention of Uyghurs, and her silence on the imprisonment of prominent Russian dissidents like Vladimir Kara-Murza.

The author contends that elevating Bachelet to the UN's highest office would send a message that ignoring tyranny is acceptable and may even be rewarded. This perspective suggests that the UN cannot afford to appoint a leader perceived as an "appeaser," particularly given the global human rights landscape. The upcoming debate in Geneva will likely see these criticisms addressed as candidates vie for the crucial leadership role.

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Blind Eye to Dictatorships