Yanghee Lee
Yanghee Lee | |
|---|---|
 Yanghee Lee in 2017 | |
| Born | 24 July 1956 Seoul, South Korea |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University University of Missouri |
| Occupation(s) | United Nations Special Rapporteur, former chairperson of Committee on the Rights of the Child, developmental psychologist and professor at Sungkyunkwan University |
| Awards | Human Rights Award of Korea |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이양희 |
| Hanja | 李亮喜 |
| Revised Romanization | I Yanghui |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yi Yanghŭi |
Yanghee Lee (Korean: 이양희; Hanja: 李亮喜, born 24 July 1956) is a South Korean developmental psychologist and professor at Sungkyunkwan University. She is most noted for her work in international human rights organisations.[1][2]
Education
Lee earned her undergraduate (B.S.) degree from Georgetown University. She later undertook postgraduate studies at the University of Missouri and earned an M.ED. and Ph.D.[3]
Human rights works and United Nations career
Yanghee Lee currently serves on the Advisory committee of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. She is the founding President of the International Child Rights Center, a non-profit organization based in Seoul. In 2009, she received the Order of Civil Merit, the highest recognition given to a civilian in Korea, for her work in human rights.[4]
Lee served as chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child under the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2007 to 2011. She also served as chairperson of the Meeting of Chairpersons of Human Rights Treaty Bodies from 2010 to 2011.
Lee was appointed special rapporteur of the UN on the situation of human rights in Myanmar first established in 1992 under the Commission on Human Rights Resolution 58 and extended annually. Following usual practice, her appointment as special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar was extended for one year in March 2019.[5] The Myanmar government, however, has denied access to Yanghee Lee.[6]
Lee is highly recognized nationally, regionally, and internationally for her expertise in human rights. She has published numerous articles and books on human rights and children’s rights. She was awarded the 2009 Human Rights Award of Korea, as winner.
Titles, awards and honours
2009: Human Rights Award of Korea as Winner, National Human Rights Commission of Korea
References
- ^ "UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee visiting Myanmar soon". BNI Multimedia Group. 8 July 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- ^ "Ms Yanghee Lee visits sittway, Rakhine state". Office of the President of Myanmar. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- ^ "Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- ^ "Government removes welcome mat for UN Special Rapporteur". The Myanmar Times. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- ^ China, Cuba and the Philippines voted against renewing Lee's appointment. See UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights Council adopts five resolutions, 22 March 2019.
- ^ "OHCHR - Myanmar refuses access to UN Special Rapporteur". www.ohchr.org. See also "Myanmar bars UN human rights envoy Yanghee Lee". Al Jazeera. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2018. and "Rakhine conflict has 'hallmarks of genocide': Yanghee Lee". Frontier Myanmar. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
