UNITED NATIONS India was elected unopposed to the UN Human Rights Council on Friday as a candidate from the Asia-Pacific region. The countrys election was assured as only five countries, including India, were running for the five vacancies from the region. As per a report, India won the seat with highest votes among all candidates (Bangladesh, Bahrain, Fiji and the Philippines).
This is the fifth time that India will serve on the Geneva-based Council. The country was among the first batch of 47 countries elected to the Council in 2006 soon after it was set up and received an initial one-year term instead of three to facilitate a rotating roster of vacancies each year. It was again elected in 2007, 2011 and 2014 to three-year terms.
Ahead of the election, Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin had tweeted that Pitching together. Bahrain, Bangladesh, Fiji, India & the Philippines stake claim to 5 seats for Asia-Pacific region at Human Rights Council elections.
Indias presence on the Council will be important because the previous UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein asked the body to facilitate an international commission of inquiry into allegations of human rights violation in Kashmir. His successor Michelle Bachelet and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have backed Zeids recommendation, which Pakistan a member of the Council is campaigning for. So far, no other country has backed Zeids call for the investigation.
Countries can be elected to only two consecutive terms and India took a years break when its term ended in 2017.
In January India will join Pakistan, China and Nepal, which were elected to the Council in previous years to serve three-year terms.
Elections were held by secret ballot in the 193-member General Assembly on Friday, although the number of candidates for all the five regions match the vacancies making it a formality although some countries may not vote for certain countries.
On the 47-member Council, the seats are allocated based on equitable regional distribution giving the Asia-Pacific region a total of 13 seats, with some coming up for election every year.
The African region also has 13 seats, while the Latin American and Caribbean region has eight, the East European region six, and the West European and others group seven.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
