New Human Rights chief's, Michelle Bachelet, first speech to the Human Rights Council

An international mechanism is needed to collect evidence of crimes, including murder and torture, against Muslim Rohingya people in Myanmar, said the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet today (Monday) in her first speech to the Human Rights Council.
“I must emphasize the imperative of justice for Myanmar, I welcome the pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Courts finding that the court has jurisdiction over the alleged deportation of Rohingya from Myanmar and possibly other crimes,” said Bachelet, who took office on September 1st of this year. “ This is an immensely important step toward ending impunity and addressing the enormous suffering of the Rohingy people.”
Bachelet, formerly the President of Chile, also said she intends to send teams to Austria and Italy to assess the reported increase in acts of violence and racism against migrants and to look into protection of migrants. She voiced alarm at anti-migrant violence in Germany which appears to have been stoked by xenophobic hate speech.
“Historically, people have always moved in search of hope and opportunities, erecting walls, deliberately projecting fear and anger on migrant communities, denying migrants fundamental rights by limiting the right to appeal, curtailing the right to non-refoulement, separating and detaining families and cutting integration programs, such policies offer no long-term solutions to anyone, only more hostility, misery, suffering and chaos,” Bachelet said. “It is in the interest of every state to adopt migration policies that are grounded in reality, not in panic which provide opportunities for safe, regular movement instead of forcing people to take lethal risk,” she added.
Regarding the ongoing military operations in Syria’s Idlib -- and their impact on up to three million civilians who live there -- the new UN Human Rights Chief said that “I am deeply concerned about the impending crisis for Idlib in Syria. The suffering of the people in Syria have been interminable and terrible. I urge all nations to take all necessary actions to urgently ensure that protection as well as justice for the massive human rights violations that they have endured.”
The new UN human rights chief brings to the mandate her experience in public service and her lifelong dedication to reversing hatred and ensuring equality and respect for all. Being a political detainee herself and the daughter of political detainees, Bachelet has been a refugee, and a practicing physician who work has included helping children who have experienced torture.
“This is a time of many setbacks for human rights”, she said. “But it is also one of a great opportunity, we stand on a strong vital, a living body of law and norms which reflect the universal values that bind humanity”.
Bachelet said that she believes that there should be more engagement by Member States with the Human Rights Council. She would like to see “not sterile disputes; not withdrawals; but collective, coordinated and cooperative works to sustain core principles and common goals”.
Michelle Bachelet recalled that “Kofi Annan, for whom I had the deepest respect, often pointed out that in our complex, globalized world, ‘no country, no matter how powerful or wealthy’ can hope to solve the issues that face states, and I quote “Governments have to show the courage and vision to look beyond themselves to find solutions and put in place new frameworks and rules”.