Human Rights Council President Appoints Kaari Betty Murungi to Serve as New Chairperson of Ethiopia Commission

GENEVA (10 June 2022) -- The President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Federico Villegas (Argentina), has decided to appoint Kaari Betty Murungi, who has been serving as a member of the Council-created Commission of Human Rights on Ethiopia, as its new Chairperson with immediate effect.

Ms Murungi's appointment comes following the resignation of Fatou Bensouda as Chairperson and Member of the Commission following her appointment as The Gambia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, of which she informed the Council President this week. Ambassador Villegas thanks Ms Bensouda for her role on the Commission and wishes her well in her future endeavours.

The President of the Council appointed Ms Bensouda, Ms Murungi and Steven Ratner to serve as members of the Commission of Human Rights on Ethiopia on 2 March 2022. The three-person Commission was created by the human rights body on 17 December 2021 with a mandate to investigate alleged human rights violations and abuses in Ethiopia committed since 3 November 2020 by all parties to the conflict.

With Ms Bensouda's resignation, the President of the Human Rights Council will appoint a third member of the Commission in the coming days.

The Commission of Human Rights on Ethiopia is scheduled to deliver its first update to the Human Rights Council on 30 June.