Robinson to step down from UN post
Former President Mary Robinson today announced she is stepping down as United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, saying she thought she could do more outside the ‘‘restraints’’ of the UN.
Ms Robinson said she would leave office at the end of her current four-year term in September.
She added she had told UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan of her decision and wanted to announce it early so there would be time to find a new high commissioner.
‘‘I want to ensure that my successor can be appointed in ample time for a smooth transition,’’ Robinson told the opening session of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva.
Robinson said she would stay in office until the end of the World Conference on Racism, which opens on August 31 in Durban, South Africa.
