Saudi Arabia UNHRC Seat Challenge

Saudi Arabia recently finished in sixth position in its failed attempt to get a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). This result clarifies how the world perceives Saudi Arabia's human rights record and highlights the difficulties in striking a balance between international human rights advocacy.

South Asia|UNHRC Seats Election (Asia-Pacific Region)

• Seats for the Asia-Pacific region: Cyprus, Marshall Islands, Qatar, South Korea and Thailand
• Saudi Arabia was number six, because of concern over its human rights record.
• The ballot is a call for more accountability and bars states with dubious rights records from setting the global agenda on human rights.
• The organizations say the deal makes it far harder for countries with dubious human rights records to influence global standards on such issues.
• on the other hand, Benin and Democratic Republic of Congo Ethiopia, Gambia and Kenya elected unopposed in Africa.

United Nations Human Rights Council

• Established in 2006, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) tracks and responds to human rights abuses worldwide.
• Its primary mechanism is the Universal Periodic Review and may convene Special Sessions to address urgent human rights emergencies.
• Voluntary funding underpins the work of the council, which is based in Geneva.