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Agencies:

China and Russia win seats on UN rights council, Saudis lose

United Nations
October 14, 2020

China, Russia and Cuba won seats on the UN's premiere human rights body Tuesday despite opposition from activist groups over their abysmal human rights records, but another target Saudi Arabia lost.

Russia and Cuba were running unopposed, but China and Saudi Arabia were in a five way race in the only contested race for seats on the Human Rights Council.

In secret-ballot voting in the 193 member UN General Assembly on that race, Pakistan received 169 votes, Uzbekistan 164, Nepal 150, China 139 and Saudi Arabia just 90 votes. In 2016, the Saudis won a seat with 152 votes.

Despite announced reform plans by Saudi Arabia, Human Rights watch and others strongly opposed its candidacy saying the Middle East nation continues to target human rights defenders, dissidents and women's rights activists and has demonstrated little accountability for past abuses, including the killing of Washington post columnist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul two years ago.

Under the Human Rights Council's rules, seats are allocated to regions to ensure geographical representation.

Four countries won four Africa seats: Ivory Coast, Malawi, Gabon and Senegal. Russia and Ukraine won the two East European seats. In the Latin American and Caribbean group, Mexico, Cuba and Bolivia won the three open seats. Britain and France won the two seats for the Western European and others group.

"Saudi Arabia's failure to win a seat on the Human Rights Council is a welcome reminder of the need for more competition in UN elections," Human Rights watch's UN director, Louis Charbonneau, said after the results were announced.