China suffers two defeats in elections to find a seat in UN bodies
One was the United Nation’s Commission on Status of Women, a body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), to which India was elected on Tuesday alongwith Afghanistan
NEW DELHI: China, a permanent UN Security Council member, suffered not one but two defeats in elections to find a seat in two UN bodies on Tuesday, Mint has learnt.
One was the United Nation’s Commission on Status of Women, a body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), to which India was elected on Tuesday alongwith Afghanistan.
The election to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a subsidiary body of 54-member ECOSOC was held on 14h September through secret ballot. For two CSW seats in the Asia Pacific Group, there were a three cornered contest between India, China and Afghanistan. Despite intensive canvassing by China, they could not even obtain simple majority of 28 votes, Mint has learnt.
For China, losing the CSW election came in a year when the UN is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 4th World Conference on Women which was hosted by Beijing – which is seen as a major set back.
Besides losing the CSW election, China has also suffered a loss in the election to the Statistical Commission. The contest was again for two seats with at least three countries including China vying for the seats. The seats were ultimately won by Samoa and Japan got elected (with 36 and 31 votes respectively), with China coming in third, unable to secure 21 votes for a simple majority. The defeat to Samoa is seen as a big loss of face for China given its standing in the world.
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