Saudi Arabia failed in its bid to become a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (CHR) on Tuesday, October 13, when China and Russia were elected for a three-year term.
The Human Rights Council, formerly the Human Rights Commission, was established in 1946 to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. Its 47 member states are elected by the United Nations General Assembly.
Fifteen seats were at stake in this council criticized by human rights organizations and by the United States, because there are countries accused of violating said rights. However, only four of the fifteen seats were contested – all in Asia and the Pacific. China received 139 votes in the secret ballot, a dramatic drop from the 180 votes cast the last time it was elected in 2016. “This shows that more and more States are disturbed by the disastrous record of China in terms of respect for rights”, wrote on Twitter Louis Charbonneau, head of Human Rights Watch at the United Nations.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan were elected with 169 votes and Nepal with 150 votes. Russia and Cuba are among the eleven countries elected without opposition. The 193 UN members were able to vote in all regions. The controversial voting system causes countries to negotiate and agree on who comes forward, often without meeting opposition.
Saudi Arabia is the only country to have stood in this election and not been elected, obtaining only 90 votes.
Saudi Arabia, a “planetary pariah”
Human rights organizations hailed the blow to Riyadh and its attempts to improve its image vis-à-vis the international community. “The Human Rights Council today sent a spectacular reprimand to Mohammed Ben Salman’s Saudi Arabia,” wrote on Twitter Bruno Stagno, deputy executive director of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Human Rights Watch, referring to the country’s crown prince. “The kingdom is reaping what it deserves for its serious human rights violations and for its war crimes abroad”, he added.
“Unless Saudi Arabia undertakes major reforms to release its political prisoners, end its terrible war in Yemen and allow its citizens real political participation, it will remain a planetary pariah”, said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now. The organization she represents – founded by Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, killed by his country’s agents at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul two years ago – has welcomed the result.
US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the council in 2018. “Today, the United Nations General Assembly once again elected countries with disastrous human rights records”, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement.
