144 member states in the 193-seat General Assembly reappointed Volker Türk for a second four-year term, defeating U.S. and Russian efforts to delay the vote or limit his extension to year-end.
António Guterres had quietly nominated the Austrian lawyer this month after private consultations under a 1993 resolution that permits a second term, a process critics said bypassed public review.
The United States warned it would reassess U.N. engagement, participation and funding after the vote; Washington already owes nearly $4 billion in regular and peacekeeping dues.
Opposition centered on Türk’s record on Gaza and China—Israel attacked his criticism of its war, while rights advocates say he has not pressed hard enough on Beijing’s treatment of Uyghurs.
The fight underscores how contested the human rights post remains as Guterres approaches the end of his own 10-year tenure and no predecessor has served two full terms since 1993.