On Monday 12 November, the General Assembly elected 18 new members to the Human Rights Council.
The election of 18 members of the Human Rights Council was held during the sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly.
The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.
The new members are:
- Western Europe & other: Germany, Greece, and United States
- Latin America & Caribbean: Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela
- Eastern Europe: Estonia and Montenegro
- Asia-Pacific: Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and United Arab Emirates
- Africa: Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya and Sierra Leone
The candidates were:
- Western Europe & other: Germany, Greece, Ireland, Sweden and United States (3 vacant seats)
- Latin America & Caribbean: Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela (3 vacant seats)
- Eastern Europe: Estonia and Montenegro (2 vacant seats)
- Asia-Pacific: Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and United Arab Emirates (5 vacant seats)
- Africa: Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya and Sierra Leone (5 vacant seats)
In accordance with paragraph 7 of General Assembly resolution 60/251 the Council shall consist of 47 Member States, which shall be elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the members of the General Assembly.
The membership shall be based on equitable geographical distribution, and seats shall be distributed as follows among regional groups:
- Group of African States (13)
- Group of Asian States (13)
- Group of Eastern European States (6)
- Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (8)
- Group of Western European and other States (7)
The members of the Council shall serve for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.
More info on the Elections here.