UN Human Rights Council elects 15 members in uncontested vote
Summary
The United Nations General Assembly elected 15 members to the Human Rights Council without any competition, as each region put forward the exact number of candidates for available seats. Human rights groups criticized this uncontested vote, saying it allows countries with poor human rights records to join the council.Key Facts
- The UN General Assembly has 193 member countries and elected 15 members to the Human Rights Council.
- The 47-member Human Rights Council seats are divided among regions to ensure fair geographic representation.
- This year, every regional group nominated the same number of candidates as available seats, so there was no competition.
- Some members elected have been criticized for poor human rights records, including countries from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Western, and Eastern Europe groups.
- The council investigates human rights abuses worldwide, including in North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, Ukraine, and Israel.
- The Human Rights Council replaced a previous UN body in 2006 that was discredited for including countries with bad records.
- The council faces ongoing criticism that some countries join to protect themselves and their allies.
- President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the council twice, citing concerns about bias against Israel.
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