The United Nations Human Rights Council today established a one-year mandate for an independent expert tasked with examining the situation in Sudan, as it concluded its 11th session.
In becoming a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, a country not only takes on greater responsibility for tackling abuses worldwide, but also lays bare its own record for the scrutiny of others, the world body’s top rights official said today.
The General Assembly today elected 18 countries to serve on the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council for three-year terms starting next month, including – for the first time – Belgium, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Norway and the United States.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the announcement by the United States that it will seek a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, saying it embodies the country’s commitment to a “new era of engagement.”
Having completed the review of another 16 countries, the United Nations Human Rights Council is now one-third of the way through to reviewing the human rights records of all 192 Member States of the Organization, according to the President of the Geneva-based body.
