Thailand elected to UN Human Rights Council
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Thailand elected to UN Human Rights Council

Saudi Arabia the lone exclusion in vote featuring 19 contenders for 18 seats

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World leaders take part in the 79th annual UN General Assembly debate on Sept 28 this year. (Photo: Reuters)
World leaders take part in the 79th annual UN General Assembly debate on Sept 28 this year. (Photo: Reuters)

Thailand has succeeded in its bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, for a three-year term starting on Jan 1, 2025.

Despite the protests of critics who have pointed to deficiencies in Thailand’s human rights record, the outcome of the vote was no surprise.

In balloting that took place at the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, there were 19 candidates for 18 vacancies on the 47-member body. 

Seats are allotted according to regional groupings and most countries ran unopposed. The exceptions were what the UN calls the “Asia-Pacific” — Thailand, Cyprus, Marshall Islands, Qatar, South Korea and Saudi Arabia — where six countries competed for five seats. 

Thailand topped the table with 177 votes from UN country members. Saudi Arabia, long condemned by activists who say it is among the worst rights offenders in the world, finished last with 117 votes and was eliminated.

Switzerland, South Korea and Ethiopia are among other new members of the Geneva-based rights body.

The Human Rights Council has a long history of including members with chequered records on the very issue it is supposed to help oversee. China and Cuba were re-elected for additional three-year terms last year. Venezuela and Russia recently sat on the council.

Activists in Thailand had been campaigning against the country’s selection. They pointed to the widespread use of the lese-majeste law to silence political dissent, as well as the country’s poor record for deporting political refugees, mainly to regional countries with poorer human rights records than Thailand’s.

Despite its controversial membership roster, the council has shone a light on rights violators in some countries. A fact-finding mission established by the group found Venezuela’s government has committed crimes against humanity against dissidents following July’s contested election.

Council-mandated experts also have focused on deteriorating human rights conditions in countries including Sudan and Haiti. Israel’s treatment of Palestinians also has been sharply criticised by the council over the years, bringing complaints from the US of bias against its ally.

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