Prince Zeid Selected As New UN Human Rights Chief

The United Nations General Assembly elected on June 16 Prince Zeid bin Raad Al-Hussein of Jordan as the new High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Prince Zeid, who will succeed South African Navi Pillay next September, was nominated for this position by the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, ealier this month. He has previously served as Jordan’s ambassador to the United States and Mexico. The prince was also a political affairs officer in the UN peacekeeping mission in Yogoslavia during the Balkan conflict, as Petra News Agancy reported.

Prince Zeid bin Raad is a member of the royal families of Jordan, Iraq and Syria. He was born in Amman on January 26, 1964 as the eldest son of Prince Raad bin Zeid of Jordan and his Swedish-born wife, Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind (now princess Majida Raad). He is also a grandson of the late Iraqi diplomat, Prince Zeid bin Al Hussein (son of King Hussein bin Ali of Hijaz and brother of the late Kings Abdullah I of Jordan and Feisal I of Iraq and Syria) and his wife, Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid of Jordan.

Prince Zeid has been married since 2000 to Princess Sara (nee Sarah Butler) and has three children: Prince Raad (b.2001), Princess Hala (b.2003) and Princess Azzizah (b.2009).

Filed under Jordan
Tagged Ban Ki-Moon, Human Rights, Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad of Iraq, United Nations.