NEW YORK: Pakistan on Monday won a seat in the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) when the General Assembly elected 15 countries to serve on the 47-member body.

The election in the 193-member assembly was by secret ballot, with a simple majority required. Pakistan polled 151 votes, when 97 were needed. There were five candidates contesting for four Asia-Pacific seats on the council. Apart from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal and Qatar also won seats on the council. Malaysia, with 129 votes, could not get elected.

The contest was only in the Asian-Pacific group. Other groups put up agreed candidates — (African States): Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Senegal; (Latin America/Caribbean States): Chile, Mexico and Peru; (Western European States): Australia and Spain and (Eastern European States): Slovakia and Ukraine.

Members of the HRC serve for a period of three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms. The Geneva-based council is an inter-governmental body within the UN system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and makeing recommendations on them.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2017