Opening remarks from Volker Türk at the 2024 Mary Robinson Speaker Series on BHR

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This year's free online event, hosted by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre and Mary Robinson, will focus on the responsibilities of corporate actors in conflict – exploring how they can be involved in harm, but also have the opportunity to play a constructive role in these crises. Mary Robinson will be joined by keynote speaker Marwa Fatafta and a panel of experts from the private sector and civil society. 

pening remarks: Volker Türk 

We are delighted to announce this year's speaker series will be introduced by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Mr. Türk took up his official functions as High Commissioner on 17 October 2022. He has devoted his long and distinguished career to advancing universal human rights, notably the international protection of some of the world's most vulnerable people - refugees and stateless persons. 

Prior to this, Mr. Türk was the Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General where he coordinated global policy work. He also ensured UN system-wide coordination in the follow-up to the Secretary-General’s “Call to Action for Human Rights” and his report, Our Common Agenda, which sets out a vision to tackle the world’s interconnected challenges on foundations of trust, solidarity and human rights. He previously served as Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (2019-2021). 

As Assistant High Commissioner for Protection in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva (2015-2019), Mr. Türk played a key role in the development of the landmark Global Compact on Refugees. 

Over the course of his career, he held a number of key positions including at UNHCR headquarters where he served as Director of the Division of International Protection (2009-2015); Director of Organizational Development and Management (2008-2009); and Chief of Section, Protection Policy and Legal Advice (2000-2004). Mr. Türk also served UNHCR around the world, including as Representative in Malaysia; Assistant Chief of Mission in Kosovo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, respectively; Regional Protection Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and in Kuwait.

Volker Türk, host Mary Robinson and keynote speaker Marwa Fatafta will be joined by an excellent line-up of panelists:

• Ryosuke Mizouchi, Adviser, Kirin Holdings Co Ltd
• Kiran Aziz, Head of Responsible Investments at KLP
• Pichamon Yeophantong, Associate Professor and Head of Research at the Centre for Future Defence and National Security, Deakin University
• Ella Skybenko, Head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre