India was re-elected to the UN’s main human rights body for the period of 2015-17, receiving the highest number of votes in the Asia-Pacific group. India was competing in the Asia-Pacific group in which four seats were up for election. A total of 9 nations vied for the four Asian seats but India received 162 votes – the highest for an Asian region seat.
Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Qatar were the other three Asian countries elected by the 193-member UNGA Tuesday to the 47-member UNHRC.
India’s first term as the member of the 47-nation UNHRC is due to end on December 31st, this year.
The UNHRC is the successor to the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), and is a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly. The council works closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The current President of United Nations Human Rights Council is Mr. Baudelaire Ndong Ella of Gabon.
