The irony of the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, stepping down formally from that position on September 11th will not be lost on her critics within the Bush Administration. During her tenure in her high profile position, Mrs Robinson made many enemies around the world - and that's just as it should have been.
Humanity does not need a Commissioner cosying up to those in power: it needs one not afraid to inflict discomfort on the powerful, reminding them of their responsibilities under international law, the UN Charter and the UN's Declaration on Human Rights.
It was precisely in this regard that questions were raised about the treatment of al Qaeda suspects held for interrogation at the US Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba. As the outgoing High Commissioner noted recently during an interview on CNN, the international human rights code is not something merely for developing nations, it is for all nations. The leaders of western democracies do not like being criticized when they or their agents do not uphold the necessary standards when pursuing their interests - often quite rightly - in other parts of the world. It was notable last week when the UN General Assembly approved the appointment of Mrs Robinson's successor, Mr Sergio Vieira de Mello, that while the Danish representative praised her tenacity and said she was "a model for all of us", the US representative, in welcoming Mr de Mello, said not a word about Mrs Robinson.
There can be no doubt but that Mrs Robinson put human rights on the agenda of world political discourse. Her high profile interventions and frequently pointed comments - notably to remind the powerful of the need for proportionality when retaliating against acts of terrorism that were themselves gross violations of human rights - taken together with conferences organized regularly by her Geneva office, meant that for several years, human rights have been to the fore in the media as never before. Mrs Robinson was correct in supporting the right of the US to retaliate for the September 11th atrocity but just as correct to remind the US-led coalition of its obligations to human rights when pursuing the terrorists responsible. She was right too to remind Mr Putin of his obligations when Russian forces went about their business in Chechnya.
As one human rights advocate told the Washington media last week: "She will be a hard act to follow."