|
|
Fourteen Nations Elected to Serve on the UN Human Rights Council
Thursday, May 17, 2007 4:49 PM
On May 17, 2007, UN Member States elected fourteen countries to serve on the United Nations Human Rights Council. Angola, Bolivia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Qatar, Slovenia and South Africa were elected after the first round of voting. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy were chosen in the second round.
Those countries that passed in the first round received an absolute majority of the General Assembly’s 192 States. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy scored high but did not receive an absolute majority and were therefore forced to go through a second round of balloting. Among the Eastern European States Slovenia (168 votes) won in the first round, and Bosnia and Herzegovina (112) joined in the second. Belarus was not elected.
After the replacement of the UN Commission on Human Rights last year, new elections were held to form the Human Rights Council. Some countries were chosen for a three-year term, without the possibility of re-election. Others were chosen for a one-year term and could run again this year. South Africa, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Netherlands were among those elected for a one-year term and now secured seats for the second time. They will serve on the 47-member UN Human Rights Council for three years and cannot run for re-election. Compiled from: Fourteen Nations Elected to Serve on UN Human Rights Council, UN Daily News, 17 May 2007.
|
|