UN secretary-general visits and human rights diplomacy

Bibliographic Data

ID24225149
AuthorsHa Eun Choi (0000-0001-7527-5381, University of Potsdam), JiHwan Jeong (Harvard University), Amanda Murdie (0000-0002-6459-0594, Georgia Institute of Technology), Byungwon Woo (0000-0003-4211-616X, Yonsei University), Hyunjin Yim (0000-0002-1098-3392, Department of Government, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX)
Year2026
Volume63
Issue4
Pages532-548
Publication date2026-07-24
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Peace Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3433 • E-ISSN: 1460-3578
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/jopres/xjaf023
OpenAlexW7138893952
LanguageEN
References cited63

Researchers have begun to investigate the effectiveness of a wide range of diplomatic tools used by international and domestic actors to promote human rights. As one of the most visible diplomatic figures in world politics, the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) frequently champions human rights. Yet whether and to what extent such efforts make a difference has received little systematic scholarly attention. Using new data on official UNSG visits between 1997 and 2018, we examine how UN diplomacy improves human rights in the countries visited. We argue that UNSG visits can enhance human rights conditions through two related mechanisms. First, they attract concentrated media and advocacy attention, creating focal points around which human rights organizations can mobilize. Second, by meeting with and publicly recognizing domestic civil society organizations, the UNSG strengthens their legitimacy and visibility, thereby increasing their capacity to maintain advocacy efforts and exert pressure on governments. Our empirical analysis lends strong support to this argument. The findings indicate that countries receiving a UNSG visit show significant subsequent improvements in human rights performance, even after accounting for potential endogeneity. These results are robust across various model specifications and alternative human rights indicators. Taken together, the findings demonstrate that UNSG visits are a distinct and effective form of UN engagement that can lead to measurable improvements in human rights protection, even in the absence of coercive authority.

civil society organizations · coercive authority · human rights diplomacy · human rights performance · human rights promotion · International organizations · Legitimacy · media attention · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Political Conflict and Governance

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