The U.N. General Assembly has elected South Africa, Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Morocco, Romania, and Vietnam to the Human Rights Council for a three-year term starting on Jan. 1, 2023.
Germany and Sudan also won second terms on the Geneva-based body, but South Korea and Venezuela failed to be re-elected. The 47-member council cannot make legally binding decisions, but its decisions carry political weight and it can authorize inquiries.
Observers said the election was important since it could tip the power balance within a deeply divided council. Vote counts have been getting closer on key issues, and last week a Western-led coalition lost a call for a debate on accusations of Chinese abuses in Xinjiang by just two votes in a historic defeat.
Investigations mandated by the Human Rights Council are sometimes later used before national and international courts, such as in the case of a former Syrian intelligence officer jailed for state-backed torture in Germany in January.
