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Fourteen nations, some with questionable human rights records such as Egypt and Vietnam, were elected on Tuesday to serve on the United Nations Human Rights Council in non-competitive elections criticised by advocacy organisations.
The Human Rights Council, the UN’s principal body for promoting and protecting human rights, has 47 seats and is based in Geneva. Members serve three-year terms, with partial renewals each year. Seats are allocated by region, with each region generally selecting its own candidates, who are then confirmed by the General Assembly.
Tuesday’s vote saw 14 countries elected for the 2026-2028 term through a secret ballot. African representatives include Angola, Egypt, Mauritius, and South Africa, while Asia-Pacific is represented by India, Iraq, Pakistan, and Vietnam. Eastern Europe secured Estonia and Slovenia, Latin America has Chile and Ecuador, and Western Europe will be represented by Italy and Britain.
Human rights advocates have condemned the process. Madeleine Sinclair, director of the International Service for Human Rights office in New York, said uncompetitive elections undermine the council’s credibility and allow weak candidates to hinder human rights initiatives. Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, warned that allowing countries like Egypt and Vietnam to join risks turning the council into a “mockery.”
In contrast, the previous two years saw more candidates than seats available, resulting in Saudi Arabia failing to gain a seat last year and Russia being unable to reclaim its position after losing it in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.
