BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

17/05/2007

Massive Human Rights Violations Cost Belarus Bid To Win Seat On U.N. Human Rights Council

Linda Young - AHN Staff Writer

New York, NY (AHN) - It only took two rounds of balloting before 14 countries were elected to serve on the United Nations Human Rights Council. But Belarus was not one of the 14 because only 78 of the 192 envoys from U.N. member states voted in favor of former Soviet nation joining the 47-seat Human Rights Council. The reason was Belarus' history of massive human rights violations. The vote was taken on at U.N. headquarters in New York on Thursday.

There were two seats available for Eastern Europe; Belarus, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina all applied. Slovenia won a seat in the first round of ballots with 168 votes. Bosnia gained its seat in the second round of ballots, according to a statement on the U.N. Web site.

The purpose of the council is to uphold human rights around the world.

States needed a majority of votes to win a seat. The Human Rights Council replaces the old discredited Commission on Human Rights.

Source:

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7007376793