Pakistan will continue to highlight plight of Kashmiris and other oppressed people all over the world, says FO. Ambassador Munir Akram addresses the meeting of the General Assembly’s Third Committee on Tuesday. Pakistan has been re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) with an overwhelming majority securing 169 votes in the 193-member UN General Assembly.
Elections were held in New York on Tuesday. Among the five candidates from the Asia-Pacific region vying for four seats, Pakistan secured the highest number of votes, a statement issued by the Foreign Office said.
Pakistan is currently serving on the HRC since 1st January, 2018. With its re-election today, Pakistan will continue as a member for another three-year term commencing on January 1, 2021, the communique added.
Our re-election is a manifestation of the international community’s confidence and trust in Pakistan’s commitment to a progressive national & global human rights agenda. Pakistan Zindabad 🇵🇰 @PakistanPR_UN @PakUNGeneva #PakWinsHRC https://t.co/tWmjiKB6f5
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) October 13, 2020
Since the HRC’s establishment in 2006, this is the fifth time that Pakistan has been elected to the United Nations’ premier body on Human Rights.
According to the FO, the international community has once again reposed confidence in Pakistan, recognizing its contribution to the national and global human rights agenda and strong credentials as a consensus builder in the HRC.
“Pakistan remains firmly committed to upholding, promoting and safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. Pakistan will sustain its efforts towards ensuring that the HRC’s work is guided by the principles of universality, impartiality, dialogue and cooperation. In line with Pakistan’s commitment, we will priorities advancement of tolerance, respect and constructive engagement in the HRC.”
Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir
The HRC has been a prominent forum for discussing the gross and systematic human rights abuses being perpetrated in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The human rights violations committed with impunity by the Indian occupation forces in IIOJK have been extensively documented in the various reports of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the independent Special Procedure Mandate Holders.
“Pakistan will remain actively engaged with the Council as well as its related processes to continue to highlight the plight of Kashmiris and other oppressed people all over the world,” the communique said.
The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body based in Geneva within the United Nations system responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe. It comprises 47 states and discusses all thematic human rights issues and specific situations requiring attention, such as those in IIOJK.
China and Russia win seats, Saudis lose
China, Russia and Cuba also won seats on the UN’s premier human rights body 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 council.
Despite announced reform plans by Saudi Arabia, Human Rights Watch (HRW) 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 columnist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul two years ago.
Under the council’s rules, seats are allocated to regions to ensure geographical representation. Except for the Asia-Pacific contest, the election of 15 members to the 47-member body was all but decided in advance because all the other regional groups had uncontested slates.
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. And 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,” HRW’s UN director, Louis Charbonneau, said after the results were announced.
“Had there been additional candidates, China, Cuba and Russia might have lost too,” he said. “But the addition of these undeserving countries won’t prevent the council from shining a light on abuses and speaking up for victims. In fact, by being on the council, these abusers will be directly in the spotlight.”