Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid

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Bärbel Kofler Christoph Strässer Markus Löning Günter Nooke Tom Koenigs Claudia Roth Gerd Poppe

The Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office (also known unofficially as the Human Rights Commissioner ) is the Federal Government's point of contact on issues relating to human rights and humanitarian aid . It is located in the Foreign Office, but not subordinate to it. According to the federal government, the commissioner is independent in his work, but cannot issue instructions to other authorities. Bärbel Kofler (SPD) has held the office since February 2016 ; her predecessor was Christoph Strässer (SPD).

One of the tasks of the human rights commissioner is to follow the political developments in his area of ​​activity and to make suggestions to the Federal Foreign Minister for shaping German politics. As part of this task he holds in Germany contacts with other German ministries, the parliamentary groups, the provinces, the Humanitarian Aid Coordinating Committee , the intermediary organizations , political and private foundations, social groups and dealing with issues of the other institutions, human rights and the humanitarian aid deal . In addition, he presents the Federal Government's policy in his area of ​​responsibility to the outside world. The Commissioner also maintains the international contacts that appear necessary for his work and also takes part in international conferences in his area of ​​activity.

In 2007 Amnesty International criticized that the post lacked rank and competence and that the human rights commissioner was merely practicing “rhetoric without consequences”.

history

The office was established in 1998 when there was a change of government and the first federal red-green government came into office. In this red-green era (it lasted from 1998 to 2005) Gerhard Schröder (SPD) was Federal Chancellor and Joschka Fischer (Greens) Foreign Minister. In 1998, the former GDR civil rights activist Gerd Poppe (Greens) was the first to take office.

2003 followed Claudia Roth (Greens), from January 2005 to February 2006 had Tom Koenigs (Green) held the office. Then (since autumn 2005 there was a black-red coalition under Chancellor Angela Merkel ) the ex-civil rights activist Günter Nooke (CDU) became human rights commissioner; at that time Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) was Foreign Minister.

The four performed their office very differently.

Löning (FDP) was relatively unknown when he took office and had little experience in human rights policy.

The TAZ wrote 19 months after he took office:

“Today nobody accuses Löning of having a lucrative government job. Old companions and new observers agree: The native Emslander is a committed, attentive conversation partner without any airs. Someone who cares about the matter and not about himself. [...] Löning does not have to and does not want to be guided by political and tactical calculations: He can criticize the execution of the death penalty in the USA or China without having to pay attention to the consequences for trade relations. The disadvantage: Because he lacks tangible pressure, his reminders have no noticeable consequences. The representative is right in the middle and yet only there. "

During this time Löning traveled to China, Argentina, Tunisia, Egypt, Azerbaijan, the USA and Turkey, to Pakistan (August 2010 / flood disaster in Pakistan 2010 ), to the EU headquarters in Brussels and to many capitals of the EU States.

He calls for an EU representative for human rights. This post was filled on July 25, 2012 by the Greek Stavros Lambrinidis .

Christoph Strässer (SPD) has held the office since January 2014 . He resigned at the end of February 2016. His successor is Bärbel Kofler , who took office on March 1, 2016.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Dawid Danilo Bartelt in: amnesty journal 2007,10, p. 36.
  2. a b c taz.de: Article on www.taz.de Human Rights Commissioner Markus Löning, Der Freie