HH Prince Zeid bin Raad assumed his position as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) on Monday to be the seventh individual to lead the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), according to Jordan's News Agency "PETRA".

Following the General Assembly’s approval of his appointment by the United Nations secretary general, Prince Zeid became the first Muslim, Asian and Arab to hold the post.

Prince Zeid was Jordan’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, Jordan’s ambassador to the United States and deputy permanent representative to the UN, with the rank of ambassador.

He also played a central role in the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and was appointed by the Jordanian government as Jordan’s representative and head of delegation, before the ICC in the matter relating to the racial segregation wall built by Israel in occupied Palestinian territories.

The Prince holds a bachelor of arts from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in philosophy (a Ph.D degree) from Cambridge University. He was also presented with an honorary doctorate of laws by the Southern California Institute of Law for his work on international justice.
 

Source: BNA