September 26 (IPS) –
CIVICUS discusses the upcoming election of new members to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council with Madeleine Sinclair, Director and General Counsel of the New York Office of the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR).
The Human Rights Council plays an important role in addressing global human rights issues and serves as a platform for activists and victims of human rights violations. The 47 members represent a variety of regional groups. In October, 19 states will hold 18 seats, with Asia Pacific the only group with more candidates than seats. Many candidates have poor human rights records, but Saudi Arabia stands out for its extremely serious human rights violations. Civil society is calling on UN member states to reject Saudi Arabia’s candidacy and maintain human rights standards when electing members of the UN’s highest human rights body.
As it does every year, the Human Rights Council will soon renew one-third of its membership by secret ballot. On October 9, all 193 member states of the United Nations General Assembly will vote to elect 18 members who will serve on the main UN human rights body from 2025 to 2027.
Elections must provide an opportunity to elect candidates with strong human rights records. The Council’s membership criteria require that candidate countries demonstrate a genuine commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights through national and international activities. They must also demonstrate a willingness to address new challenges and crises to ensure the effectiveness of the board.
How competitive will this year’s election be?
Unfortunately, this election will not be very competitive, with only 19 countries representing 18 seats. These seats are divided among the United Nations’ five official regional groups, each of which presents its own list of candidates. However, competition is strong only in the Asia Pacific region. Six candidates are vying for five seats and the remaining four are closed. That means there are as many candidates as there are seats available. In Africa there are five candidates for five seats, in Latin America and the Caribbean it is 3 to 3, in Eastern Europe it is 2 to 2, and in Western Europe and the rest of the world it is 2 to 2.
This election is less competitive than last year, when 17 candidates competed for 15 seats. Only Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe had more candidates than seats, so Russia lost. In 2021, all 18 candidates running for 18 seats were elected, receiving between 144 and 189 of the 193 votes cast, despite some having extremely problematic human rights records.
Unfortunately, uncontested elections are common, with completely private candidates presented four times since 2008. Other elections have featured only one or two competing candidates. The problem with uncontested races is that they potentially undermine the quality of Congress by depriving voting states of the opportunity to rigorously evaluate and select candidates based on their records and promises.
However, even if an undisclosed candidate does not receive at least 97 out of 193 votes, there is still a chance that the opposing candidate will be defeated. For example, in 2023, Burundi and China received the lowest votes in the regional grouping, sending the message that their candidates were not fully supported. ISHR recommends that voting states carefully evaluate all candidates and withhold their votes for problematic candidates, even non-public candidates.
Who are the candidates for the October election?
Candidates in this election include African countries such as Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, and Kenya. The Asia-Pacific group includes Cyprus, Korea, Marshall Islands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand. Latin America and the Caribbean is represented by Bolivia, Colombia, and Mexico. Iceland, Spain and Switzerland were candidates in Western Europe and other countries, while the Czech Republic and North Macedonia were candidates in Central and Eastern Europe.
One candidate this year was Saudi Arabia, which has a particularly poor human rights record. It has shut down civic space, been repeatedly included in the UN Secretary-General’s reprisals report, and has been accused by UN experts of committing war crimes in Yemen. Due to these serious concerns, we are actively campaigning against the election in our Asia Pacific group.
What is the role of civil society in this process?
Civil society, including ISHR, has an important role to play in advocating for a more effective and accountable Human Rights Council. One of the key areas in need of reform is closed slate. Competitive elections are essential to ensure that only countries with a genuine commitment to human rights are elected.
ISHR created a scorecard to evaluate and compare candidates based on their history of cooperation with human rights mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review, and engagement with civil society, UN treaty bodies and special procedures. These criteria provide a solid understanding and clear overview of a country’s human rights record, so you can know whether you are suitable to sit on the board. While we recognize that no country has a perfect record, these criteria aim to provide valuable insight into each country’s commitment to upholding human rights and its potential role on the Council.
In addition to the Scorecard, our annual joint pledging event with Amnesty International provides a platform for countries to present their candidates, make a strong and public commitment as potential members, and receive direct feedback and critical questions from civil society. If all candidates participate in this event, the political costs of refusing to participate or submitting formal pledges and pledges will increase. Such participation would make it more difficult for countries with poor human rights records to find a place without scrutiny.
What should be the priorities of Congress?
The Human Rights Council is vital for amplifying the voices of rights holders, victims and human rights defenders, and providing them with a platform to expose violations and demand accountability. To be effective in this role, you must prioritize being trustworthy, effective, and approachable. The focus must remain on universally upholding international law, supporting remote and hybrid participation of civil society, and ensuring that demands for accountability are promptly addressed.
A credible and effective board can only function if its members fully cooperate with board mechanisms and adhere to objective human rights standards. In a context of increasing conflict and crises rooted in oppression and human rights violations, the Commission’s role in promoting accountability and justice is more important than ever. States should support the work of human rights defenders whose efforts to prevent violations, document abuses, and provide essential services are essential to resolving the crisis.
To resolve these conflicts, states must consistently apply human rights standards. Selective or inconsistent application of standards undermines the credibility of the international framework and those involved. International human rights law, when applied in a consistent and principled manner, remains the best guide to achieving a more just, peaceful and inclusive world.
Contact ISHR through its website or Facebook page and follow @ishrglobal on Instagram, @ISHRglobal and @Madeleine_ISHR on Twitter.
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