Azerbaijan not re-elected to UN rights council
Azerbaijan was not re-elected to the United Nations
Human Rights Council during a vote held on May 12. Hungary took
over its place in the organization`s ranks, while Russia gained the
other two seats designated for Eastern European countries.
20 countries were vying for 18 vacant seats in the UN`s political rights body, which comprises 47 members. Azerbaijan, which was already represented in the council, had applied for re-election.
Countries are required to secure the votes of at least 97 out of the 192 states represented in the UN to be elected to the council for a three-year term. Azerbaijan managed to collect 84 votes in favor of its nomination, according to the UN website.
Russia was backed by 146 countries, while Hungary - by 131 states, and the United States was elected for the first time after gaining 167 votes. Among Asian countries, Kyrgyzstan was elected to the council for the first time.
A number of terse calls had been made in the days leading up to the UN vote. Rights watchdog Freedom House and other international groups urged the council to ban the election of seven countries - Azerbaijan, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Jibuti, Russia and Saudi Arabia - claiming these countries are violating human rights.
Radio Liberty reported that some international rights organizations issued a special report in New York on the day the vote was held maintaining that the rights records of two-thirds of the 20 countries that had applied for Council membership were either poor or very poor.
20 countries were vying for 18 vacant seats in the UN`s political rights body, which comprises 47 members. Azerbaijan, which was already represented in the council, had applied for re-election.
Countries are required to secure the votes of at least 97 out of the 192 states represented in the UN to be elected to the council for a three-year term. Azerbaijan managed to collect 84 votes in favor of its nomination, according to the UN website.
Russia was backed by 146 countries, while Hungary - by 131 states, and the United States was elected for the first time after gaining 167 votes. Among Asian countries, Kyrgyzstan was elected to the council for the first time.
A number of terse calls had been made in the days leading up to the UN vote. Rights watchdog Freedom House and other international groups urged the council to ban the election of seven countries - Azerbaijan, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Jibuti, Russia and Saudi Arabia - claiming these countries are violating human rights.
Radio Liberty reported that some international rights organizations issued a special report in New York on the day the vote was held maintaining that the rights records of two-thirds of the 20 countries that had applied for Council membership were either poor or very poor.
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