The United Nations General Assembly held an uncontested election on Tuesday for 15 members of the Human Rights Council, which has drawn criticism from human rights groups. They argue that this process undermines accountability, allowing countries with poor human rights records to secure seats on the council.
The election involved the 193-member General Assembly, which allocates positions on the 47-nation Human Rights Council to UN regional groups to ensure geographical representation. For the second consecutive year, all regional groups nominated the exact number of candidates needed for the available seats for the three-year term, resulting in uncontested elections.
Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, stated, "This uncompetitive vote makes a mockery of the word ‘election.’" He emphasized that no country should receive a seat on the council without a competitive process, urging UN member nations to insist on competitive slates to reject candidates with poor human rights records.
In the recent vote, representatives from the Africa group elected included Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Burundi. The Asia-Pacific group saw Kuwait, Nepal, Jordan, and Japan win seats, while Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay were elected from the Latin America and Caribbean group. Ireland and Germany were elected from the mainly Western group, and Moldova and Ukraine from the Central and East European group.
The Human Rights Council, based in Geneva, periodically reviews the human rights records of all countries, appoints independent investigators to report on issues such as torture, and sends fact-finding missions to investigate rights violations in various regions, including Ukraine, the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel, and Sudan.
Established in 2006 to replace a discredited human rights commission, the council has faced similar criticism over the years, with allegations that countries seek seats to protect themselves and their allies. Following his second term's start, former US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from the Human Rights Council, citing accusations of anti-Israel bias.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric commented on the uncontested vote, stating that it is a matter for the 193 member nations. He added, "Member states who are elected to this organization’s highest human rights body have an added responsibility to protect human rights."