New members elected to UN Human Rights Council

by admin
Nov 12, 2012

The UN General Assembly has elected 18 new states to join the UN Human Rights Council.

The elected countries were Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Montenegro, Pakistan, South Korea, Sierra Leone, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Ireland, Estonia and the United States.

A report by Freedom House said that a third of candidates were unqualified for membership, due to the human rights situation in those specific countries.

Freedom House singled out Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, UAE and Venezuela as not suitable for membership of the UNHRC.

The US meanwhile announced it is “proud and pleased” at its re-election.

In a statement, released by the State Department on Monday, the US reflected on the Council’s key accomplishments during its first term.

The US highlighted its leadership in pushing through a resolution on Sri Lanka, saying it “sent a strong signal that Sri Lanka still needs to address outstanding issues of reconciliation and accountability”.

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