Nepal re-elected to UN Human Rights Council

KATHMANDU, Oct 14: Nepal has been re-elected for the second term as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in the elections held at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

Currently serving as a member of the Council since January 2018, Nepal has been re-elected with 150 votes and will serve a consecutive three-year term of 2021-2023, acccording to Nepal’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali extended gratitude to all the friendly nations for their support during the election. He also thanked Nepali missions in New York and Geneva for their hard work to solicit support to Nepal.

In addition to Nepal, three other countries from Asia Pacific region namely China, Pakistan and Uzbekistan are among the 15 Member States elected by a secret ballot in a plenary meeting of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

Other newly-elected countries are Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Malawi and Senegal from Africa; Russian Federation and Ukraine from Eastern Europe; Bolivia, Cuba and Mexico from Latin America; and France and United Kingdom from Western Europe. All will serve a three-year term beginning from January 2021. The elections were uncontested for other regional groups except the Asia Pacific region.

Established by the UN General Assembly in 2006 as the principal United Nations entity dealing with human rights, the Human Rights Council consists of 47 elected Member States. The Council seats are allocated on the basis of equitable geographical distribution to the five regional groups, namely African States (13 seats), Asia-Pacific States (13 seats), Eastern European States (6 seats), Latin American and Caribbean States (8 seats) and Western European and other States (7 seats).

Upon conclusion of the elections, Nepal’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amrit Bahadur Rai termed Nepal’s re-election as the international community’s acknowledgement of its progressive journey on political and human rights fronts. “It is also a recognition of Nepal’s efforts in protection and promotion of human rights both at home and across the globe, including through our peacekeepers,” he stated.

Ambassador Rai also added that Nepal would continue to contribute to the work of the Council in promoting an apolitical and impartial approach to human rights through a unique perspective of a land-locked and least developed country striving for socio-economic transformation. He emphasized that Nepal would continue to strive, with a sense of a great deal of responsibility, to promote the ideals of justice, peace and progress for all, placing the human rights needs of the most vulnerable groups of people at the center.

Ambassador Rai expressed gratitude to all UN Member States for their trust and confidence in Nepal’s capabilities to serve in the Council as their elected member.