BackIndia gets re-elected to UN Human Rights Council for 6th term with overwhelming majority
Human Rights Council candidates are elected in geographical groups to ensure even representationThe council is made up of 47 member states
PremiumIndia was re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2022-24 term on Thursday and vowed to continue to work for the promotion and protection of human rights through “Samman, Samvad and Sahyog".
“India gets re-elected to the @UN_HRC (2022-24) for a 6th term with overwhelming majority. Heartfelt gratitude to the @UN membership for reposing its faith in India (sic)," India’s Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted.
"We will continue to work for promotion and protection of Human Rights through #Samman #Samvad #Sahyog #Samman #Samvad #Sahyog," it added.
The UN General Assembly elected by secret ballot Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, UAE and the USA.
The US joined the cohort more than three years after the Trump administration quit the 47-member body over what it called chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform.
The United States, which was unopposed, received 168 votes in the secret ballot by the 193-member General Assembly. It begins a three-year term on 1 January - pitting Washington against Beijing and Moscow, who began council terms this year.
China and some of its allies including Belarus and Venezuela have taken advantage of the US absence from the council to push through joint statements supporting Beijing's actions in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet, and denouncing "human rights violations" in Western countries, including against indigenous Canadians.
For Thursday's vote, non-governmental organizations accused regional groups of stitching up a "legitimizing facade" rather than a genuine contest at the council, by presenting the same number of candidates as vacant seats.
The council is made up of 47 member states. For years, the body has been criticized for allowing authoritarian governments to take part.
Human Rights Council candidates are elected in geographical groups to ensure even representation. There were no competitive races on Thursday to elect 13 new members and re-elect five members. Members cannot serve more than two consecutive terms.
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