The New Nation - Internet Edition

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UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour says she is stepping down after four years in the post.

Ms Arbour, a Canadian legal expert, told the Human Rights Council she would quit when her term expired in June. She said it was for personal reasons.

Correspondents say she has angered some UN member states by taking a tough stance on their human rights records.

They say that, like her predecessors, Ms Arbour faced criticism from a wide range of countries.

However she denied that was the reason she was quitting.

"It is very much for personal reasons. I'm not prepared to make this commitment for another four years," she told the Council.