Jordanian Prince Appointed Next UN Human Rights Chief

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Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, member of the Jordanian royal family and current ambassador to the United Nations, has been appointed the next United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, our friends at Pink News report.

Al-Hussein will be the first Commissioner from the Arab World and Asian continent. His commitment to the promotion of queer and transgender rights remains unclear, but his appointment could mean increased scrutiny into the human rights situation in his home country. Anti-gay legislation has been off the books in Jordan since 1951, but queer and transgender individuals still face staggering challenges of discrimination when it comes to housing, legal protection, employment, personal dignity, and many other domains.

We at Rainbow Street are hoping that his appointment will lead to increased visibility for disadvantaged communities in Jordan, including the queer and transgender communities that we support. 

Read the full article below:

The Jordanian UN ambassador, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, has been appointed the next United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The 50-year-old is a relative of Jordan’s royal family who graduated from Johns Hopkins University and received a PhD from the University of Cambridge.

He has been his country’s ambassador to the United Nations for the past four years, and served in the same position from 2000 to 2007. Continue reading...