By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Oct. 15: Nepal, which has been a member of United Nations Human Rights Council since January 2018, has been re-elected to the Council.
In the elections held at UN Headquarters in New York on October 13, Nepal was able to secure 150 votes, according to press release issued by Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations, New York
Nepal will serve a consecutive three-year term of 2021-2023.
In addition to Nepal, three countries from Asia Pacific region namely China, Pakistan and Uzbekistan were among the 15 Member States elected by a secret ballot in a plenary meeting of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly today.
Other newly elected countries are Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Malawi and Senegal from Africa; Russian Federation and Ukraine from Eastern Europe; Bolivia, Cuba and Mexico from Latin America; and France and United Kingdom from Western Europe. Like Nepal, all will serve a three-year term beginning from January 2021. The elections were uncontested for other regional groups except the Asia Pacific region.
Upon conclusion of the elections, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations Amrit Bahadur Rai termed Nepal’s re-election as the international community’s acknowledgement of our progressive journey on political and human rights fronts. It is also a recognition of Nepal’s efforts in protection and promotion of human rights both at home and across the globe, whether through our peacekeepers or otherwise, he stated.
He also added that Nepal would continue to contribute to the work of the Council in promoting an apolitical and impartial approach to human rights through a unique perspective of a land-locked and least developed country striving for socio-economic transformation. He emphasized that Nepal would continue to strive, with a sense of a great deal of responsibility, to promote the ideals of justice, peace and progress for all, placing the human rights needs of the most vulnerable groups of people at the centre.
Ambassador Rai expressed gratitude to all UN Member States for their trust and confidence in Nepal’s capabilities to serve in the Council as their elected member.
Established by the UN General Assembly in 2006 as the principal United Nations entity dealing with human rights, the Human Rights Council consists of 47 elected Member States. 
The Council seats are allocated on the basis of equitable geographical distribution to the five regional groups as follows:  African States, 13 seats; Asia-Pacific States, 13 seats; Eastern European States, 6 seats; Latin American and Caribbean States, 8 seats; and Western European and other States, 7 seats.