KSA’s re-election to UNHRC reflects international trust

Saudi Gazette report United Nations — The re-election of Saudi Arabia as a member of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for three years will allow it to complete its mission to defend human rights in the Arab and Islamic world, said the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Abdullah Al-Moallami. In a press statement, he said that the re-election of Saudi Arabia reflects the international community’s trust in the pioneering and leading role of the Kingdom in the Human Rights Council. “This leading role in the Council is approved over the past three years. The Kingdom will continue this role during the coming three years. Saudi Arabia always participates in the joint international action,” Al-Moallami said. Saudi Arabia along with China, South Africa and Britain won a second term of the Human Rights Council through ballots by the 193-member UN General Assembly on Friday. Saudi Arabia, which was re-elected with 152 votes, was almost guaranteed to retain its seat as part of a clean slate of four countries vying for four regional seats. Saudi Arabia will represent the Asian region on the UNHRC alongside China, Japan and Iraq for the next three years. The 47 places on the Council are distributed on a regional basis, with staggered ballots seeing a third of the body re-elected each year.