The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, expressed today “much hope” that the elect-President of the United States, Joe Biden, will be able to improve the human rights situation in the country and in the world
Bachelet expressed his optimism during the annual end-of-year press conference in Geneva, following “a series of promising commitments” made by the President-elect.
The High Commissioner underlined the determination shown by the new American President to defend the Youth Migrant Rights Program (DACA), his promises to increase the number of refugees welcomed, end family separations, support sexual health rights and reproductive health, to focus on eradicating systemic racism and to prohibit torture.
“I am very happy with all these goals,” admitted Michelle Bachelet, considering that Joe Biden “will be much better for human rights”.
The high commissioner also underlined Biden’s international promises, in particular that of ending the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization and of re-establishing the Paris climate agreement.
If these promises are kept, “they will have a positive impact on human rights in the United States and around the world,” she stressed, adding that she was looking forward to “renewing the United States’ commitment to multilateral organizations.”
Bachelet said that she had not yet spoken to Joe Biden since his election, but said that she knew him well since the time he was Vice President of the USA and she was President of Chile.
I hope that Biden “can also reverse policies followed by the Trump administration that have resulted in serious setbacks for human rights, including the rights of women, LGBT people [Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transvestites, Transsexuals and Transgenders], migrants and journalists”, said the UN official, admitting she was “also very concerned about the fever of federal executions” planned by Donald Trump during his last weeks in office.