15 members elected to UN’s key rights panel; US is back after year’s absence

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) today elected 15 new members to the Geneva-based Commission on Human Rights, including the United States, which will rejoin the UN’s main human rights body after a year’s absence.

As part of the Group of Western European and Other States, which presented four candidates to fill four seats, the US was elected without a vote, or “by acclamation.” Australia, Germany and Ireland were also elected from that Group.

In addition, the Council elected by acclamation Burkina Faso, Gabon, Swaziland and Zimbabwe from the Group of African States, and Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.

A secret ballot was held in elections for candidates from both the Asian and the Eastern European Groups of States. The Council elected China, Japan, and Sri Lanka from the Group of Asian States, and Ukraine from the Group of Eastern European States. The United Arab Emirates and Hungary did not obtain the required majority in the ballot.

Numerous other elections were held today, including those to fill seats on the Statistical Commission, Commission on Population and Development, Commission for Social Development, Commission on the Status of Women, Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and the Commission on Sustainable Development.