Part of: Prelims and GS – II – International Relations
ContextIndia has been re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council (2022-24) for a record 6th term with an overwhelming majority.
It vowed to continue to work for the promotion and protection of Human Rights through “Samman, Samvad and Sahyog.”
Key takeaways
India’s current term was set to end on December 31 2021.
Countries elected by the UN General Assembly through secret ballot: Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, UAE and the US.
USA, which had quit the council in 2018 under the previous Donald Trump’s regime, was re-elected to the global rights body for a period of three-and-a-half years.
About UN Human Rights Council
It is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations which consists of 47 Member States elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the members of the General Assembly.
Location: Geneva.
Establishment: It was founded in 2006.
Functions: (1) It investigates allegations of breaches of human rights in UN member states; (2) It also addresses important thematic human rights issues such as freedom of expression, women’s rights, LGBT rights, and the rights of racial and ethnic minorities.
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.
The membership is based on equitable geographical distribution.
