ACTU : General Assembly Elects Eighteen States to Serve on the Human Rights Council

Catherine MAIA

The United Nations General Assembly has elected eighteen states to serve on the Human Rights Council, the principal UN political body dealing with human rights and created by the General Assembly in May 2006 to replace the much-criticized Commission on Human Rights.

The General Assembly elected Argentina, Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire, Estonia, Ethiopia, Gabon, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Montenegro, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Venezuela to serve three-year terms beginning on January 1, 2013. Côte d'Ivoire, Estonia, Ethiopia, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Montenegro, Sierra Leone, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela will be sitting on the panel for the first time.

The Human Rights Council comprises forty-seven elected member states, divided into five regional groups:  African Group (thirteen seats), Asian Group (thirteen seats), Eastern European Group (six seats), Latin American and Caribbean Group (eight seats), and the Western and Others Group (seven seats).

LIST OF CURRENT MEMBERS

Members outlined in bold will retire on 31 December 2012

African States	Asia-Pacific States	Eastern European States	Latin American & Caribbean States	Western European & other States
Angola 2013	Bangladesh 2012	Czech Republic 2014	Chile 2014	Austria 2014
Benin 2014	China 2012	Hungary 2012	Costa Rica 2014	Belgium 2012
Botswana 2014	India 2014	Poland 2013	Cuba 2012	Italy 2014
Burkina Faso 2014	Indonesia 2014	Republic of Moldova 2013	Ecuador 2013	Norway 2012
Cameroon 2012	Jordan 2012	Romania 2014	Guatemala 2013	Spain 2013
Congo 2014	Kuwait 2014	Russian Federation 2012	Mexico 2012	Switzerland 2013
Djibouti 2012	Kyrgyzstan 2012		Peru 2014	United States 2012
Libya* 2013	Malaysia 2013		Uruguay 2012
Mauritania 2013	Maldives 2013
Mauritius 2012	Qatar 2013
Nigeria 2012	Philippines 2014
Senegal 2012	Saudi Arabia 2012
Uganda 2013	Thailand 2013

* Suspended by resolution A/RES/65/265 (Mar 2011).