Pakistan along with China, Russia and Cuba won seats on the UN Human Rights Council despite strong opposition from activist groups over their abysmal human rights records.
In a secret-ballot voting in the 193-member UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Pakistan secured 169 votes, Uzbekistan received 164, Nepal 150 and China 139. Saudi Arabia lost the race with just 90 votes.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed the UN body for electing China, Russia and Cuba to the agency tasked with defending human rights.
“The election of China, Russia, and Cuba to the UN Human Rights Council validates the US decision to withdraw from the Council in 2018 and use other venues to protect and promote universal human rights. At #UNGA this year, we did just that,” Pompeo tweeted.
“US commitment to human rights is far more than just words. We have identified and punished human rights abusers in Xinjiang, Myanmar, Iran, and elsewhere, and call for all nations to take this moment to recommit to the #UDHR,” he said in another tweet.
Last week, a coalition of human rights groups from Europe, the US and Canada called on UN member states to oppose the election of China, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba and Uzbekistan, saying their human rights records make them unqualified.
“The bad news: governments just elected China to the UN Human Rights Council despite its severe repression in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. The good news: the number of governments voting for it declined from 180 last time to 139 now. The fear is melting,” Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth tweeted after the vote.
Pakistan is currently serving on the HRC since January 1, 2018. With its re-election, the country will continue as a member for another three-year term commencing on January 1, 2021.
Under the Human Rights Council”s rules, seats are allocated to regions to ensure geographical representation.❐
