UN Human Rights Council elects 15 members in uncontested vote

Rights groups say uncontested vote undermines accountability as countries with poor human rights records win seats.

Human rights groups have sharply criticised the uncontested election of 15 members of the United Nations’ premier human rights body, saying it let countries with poor rights records win seats.

Positions on the 47-nation Human Rights Council are allocated to the UN’s regional groups to ensure geographical representation. And for the second year in a row, all regional groups put forward the exact number of candidates for available seats for the three-year term, resulting in uncontested races.

“No one should have a seat on this crucial body handed to them on a silver platter”, Charbonneau said.

In Tuesday’s vote, the Africa group’s Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Burundi were elected.

Ireland and Germany from the mainly Western group, and Moldova and Ukraine from the Central and East European group, will also join the Human Rights Council.

The council was created in 2006 to replace a human rights commission discredited because some members had poor rights records. But the new council soon faced similar criticism, including that countries sought seats to protect themselves and their allies.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, responding to a question about the UN position on the uncontested vote, said it was a matter for the 193 member nations.