10 May 2006, 12:49
Armenia and Georgia are not among the members of the UN Council for Human Rights
The membership of the new UN Council for Human Rights has been formed; the elections were held on May 9. 65 countries were candidates to 47 places in the Council. Armenia and Georgia failed to win the required number of votes. Out of the countries of former Soviet Union, only Russia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine joined the Council, the IA Regnum reports.
The new UN body represents all the regions, in particular, Asia is represented by India, Indonesia, China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Japan; Africa - by Algeria, Nigeria and South-African Republic; Latin America - by Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Cuba; Western Europe - by Germany, France, Great Britain, Switzerland and Finland; and the Eastern Europe - by Poland, Czechia, Rumania and Hungary.
The decision to create the Council instead of the liquidated UN Commission for Human Rights was made in September last year. The first sitting of the Council will take place on June 19, 2006. The UN Council for Human Rights will periodically analyse the reports on situation with human rights in UN member-states. The decisions of the Council will have mandatory character.
The UN Council for Human Rights will operate instead of the UN Commission for Human Rights, which will be terminated on June 16.