U.S. Re-Elected To U.N. Human Rights Council
The United States was re-elected Monday to another three-year term on the United Nation’s Human Rights Council.
A total 18 countries were elected Monday to serve on the Human Rights Council for a period of three years beginning on January 1, 2013. Members of the Council serve for a period of three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.
Commenting on the news, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the countries that voted for the U.S. “in what was a highly competitive race among several qualified Western candidates that are all strong champions of human rights.”
Clinton pledged that the U.S. would to continue to work closely with the international community to address urgent and serious human rights concerns worldwide and to strengthen the Council.
Nevertheless, Clinton used the occasion to stress the U.S. – Israeli relationship, and the Obama Administration’s criticism of the Council’s anti-Israel bias.
“While much hard work remains to be done, especially ending the Council’s disproportionate and biased focus on Israel, we look forward to cooperating with other Council members to continue to address human rights concerns and to ensure that the Council fully realizes its promise,” Clinton said.
Argentina, Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Estonia, Ethiopia, Gabon, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Montenegro, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, United Arab Emirates, United States and Venezuela were elected by secret ballot during the elections held at UN Headquarters in New York.