The United Nations General Assembly has elected 15 new members to the UN Human Rights Council, but the vote on Tuesday drew sharp criticism from rights groups because not a single seat was actually contested.
A vote with no contest
All of the council's regional groups put forward exactly as many candidates as there were seats available for the three-year term. As a result, every race was uncontested — the second year in a row that has happened, a situation human rights advocates say makes a mockery of the process.
Human Rights Watch's UN director Louis Charbonneau said the uncompetitive vote "makes a mockery of the word 'election'" and argued that no country should be handed a seat on the body "on a silver platter." He urged member states to insist on competitive slates so they can reject candidates with poor human rights records.
Who won seats
From the Africa group, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Burundi were elected. The Asia-Pacific group sent Kuwait, Nepal, Jordan and Japan to the council, while Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay won the Latin America and Caribbean seats. Ireland and Germany took the Western group seats, and Moldova and Ukraine won the Central and East European slots.
Why the criticism matters
The 47-nation Geneva-based council periodically reviews the human rights records of all countries, appoints independent investigators on issues such as torture and on situations in North Korea, Iran and Myanmar, and sends fact-finding missions to Ukraine, the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, and Sudan. Created in 2006 to replace a human rights commission discredited by its own membership, the council has long faced the charge that governments seek seats to shield themselves and their allies.
Asked about the UN's position on the uncontested vote, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said it was a matter for the 193 member nations, adding that elected states carry "an added responsibility to protect human rights." Notably, the United States no longer sits on the council: President Donald Trump announced Washington's withdrawal in his second term, citing anti-Israel bias, having also pulled out during his first term.
Sources: UN Human Rights Council elects 15 members in uncontested vote — Al Jazeera
A vote with no contest
All of the council's regional groups put forward exactly as many candidates as there were seats available for the three-year term. As a result, every race was uncontested — the second year in a row that has happened, a situation human rights advocates say makes a mockery of the process.
Human Rights Watch's UN director Louis Charbonneau said the uncompetitive vote "makes a mockery of the word 'election'" and argued that no country should be handed a seat on the body "on a silver platter." He urged member states to insist on competitive slates so they can reject candidates with poor human rights records.
Who won seats
From the Africa group, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Burundi were elected. The Asia-Pacific group sent Kuwait, Nepal, Jordan and Japan to the council, while Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay won the Latin America and Caribbean seats. Ireland and Germany took the Western group seats, and Moldova and Ukraine won the Central and East European slots.
Why the criticism matters
The 47-nation Geneva-based council periodically reviews the human rights records of all countries, appoints independent investigators on issues such as torture and on situations in North Korea, Iran and Myanmar, and sends fact-finding missions to Ukraine, the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, and Sudan. Created in 2006 to replace a human rights commission discredited by its own membership, the council has long faced the charge that governments seek seats to shield themselves and their allies.
Asked about the UN's position on the uncontested vote, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said it was a matter for the 193 member nations, adding that elected states carry "an added responsibility to protect human rights." Notably, the United States no longer sits on the council: President Donald Trump announced Washington's withdrawal in his second term, citing anti-Israel bias, having also pulled out during his first term.
Sources: UN Human Rights Council elects 15 members in uncontested vote — Al Jazeera
