Pakistan elected to United Nations Human Rights Council

Pakistan has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council, an intergovernmental body within the UN system.

Pakistan, which had the endorsement of the Asia Group, polled 171 votes, when 97 were required. The United States and Germany won a closely contested race among western nations. In Asia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, South Korea and United Arab Emirates elected to the council.

Ambassador Masood Khan said, “Pakistan’s political leadership, parliament and judiciary have all proactively pushed the human rights agenda. Pakistan’s membership of the Human Rights Council is a catalyst for higher attention to human rights back home.”

“Our entire leadership, all political forces and national institutions support promotion and protection of human rights. We have put human rights as a top priority on our national agenda,” Ambassador Khan added.

The Geneva-based council is mandated to promote and protect human rights and prevent human rights violations.

The 47-member body is composed of 13 countries from Africa, 13 from Asia, six from Eastern Europe, eight from Latin America and the Caribbean, and seven from Western Europe and other states.

Talking to media, prime minister’s advisor on Human rights, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said that the election of Pakistan in UN Human Rights council was a great achievement for the country and it has dispelled the negative image of the country in terms of human rights violation.

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.

In accordance with paragraphs 4 and 5 of General Assembly resolution 65/281, from 2013, the Human Rights Council will start its yearly membership cycle on 1 January.

Also, as a transitional measure, the period of office of members of the Human Rights Council ending in June 2012, June 2013 and June 2014 will exceptionally be extended until the end of the respective calendar year.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=34917

Posted by Web Desk on Nov 13 2012. Filed under National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.