(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Unlike Louise Arbour, who cautioned against too many public condemnations of violations – she described them as being like“a scream in the wilderness”, Zeid was famously outspoken. The UN“is not there to become friendly with member states,” he argues. To be taken seriously, he still believes, UN diplomats need to be blunt.

From Jordan to Yugoslavia to New York

Zeid admits that, growing up in a privileged background in Jordan (he's actually a member of Jordan's royal family) he didn't have his sights set on a career in human rights:“no, I was far too immature and delinquent to be thinking lofty ideas and profound thoughts.”

But a job with the UN's protection force during the war in former Yugoslavia opened his eyes to the brutality that human beings are capable of. It also brought home to him the often flawed nature of UN diplomacy. Bad things happen, he firmly believes, when the UN is too timid.“I knew from my experience in former Yugoslavia, that if the UN believed that it's in the friends business, it produces catastrophic results.”

So when the call came to become UN Human Rights Commissioner, did he hesitate? In fact, he says now, he didn't necessarily want the job. He had planned to leave the UN but stay in New York. Instead, he stayed with the UN and left New York for Geneva.

MENAFN15112023000210011054ID1107430960