Elections and Appointments
71st session - Election of the Human Rights Council (28 October 2016)
The General Assembly elected the following 14 members:
Brazil, China, Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq,
Japan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, United Kingdom and the United States
In accordance with paragraph 7 of General Assembly resolution 60/251 the Council shall consist of 47 Member States, which shall be elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the members of the General Assembly.
The membership shall be based on equitable geographical distribution, and seats shall be distributed as follows among regional groups:
- Group of African States (13)
- Group of Asia-Pacific States (13)
- Group of Eastern European States (6)
- Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (8)
- Group of Western European and other States (7)
The members of the Council shall serve for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.
In accordance with paragraphs 4 and 5 of General Assembly resolution 65/281, from 2013, the Human Rights Council will start its yearly membership cycle on 1 January.
Member States who have chosen to announce their candidacies in writing are listed below. Voluntary pledges that Member States have chosen to provide in support of their respective candidacies, in accordance with paragraph 8 of General Assembly resolution 60/251, are issued as General Assembly documents in all official languages.
List of candidates
Click on country name below for additional information on candidature.
| African States (4 vacant seats) |
Asia-Pacific States (4 vacant seats) |
Eastern European States (2 vacant seats) |
Latin American & Caribbean States (2 vacant seats) |
Western European & other States (2 vacant seats) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt [A/71/406] | China [A/71/294] | Croatia [A/71/225] |
Brazil [A/71/78] | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland [A/71/572] |
| Rwanda | Iraq | Hungary [A/71/113] | Cuba [A/71/71] | United States of America [A/71/585] |
| South Africa [A/71/568] | Japan [A/71/165] | Russian Federation [A/71/81] | Guatemala [A/71/77] | |
| Tunisia [A/71/92] | Saudi Arabia [A/71/72] |
List of current members
Members outlined in bold will retire on 31 December 2016.
| African States | Asia-Pacific States | Eastern European States | Latin American & Caribbean States |
Western European & other States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria 2016 | Bangladesh 2017 | Albania 2017 | Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 2017 | Belgium 2018 |
| Botswana 2017 | China 2016 | Georgia 2018 | Cuba 2016 | France 2016 |
| Burundi 2018 | India 2017 | Latvia 2017 | Ecuador 2018 | Germany 2018 |
| Congo 2017 | Indonesia 2017 | Russian Federation 2016 | El Salvador 2017 | Netherlands 2017 |
| Côte d'Ivoire 2018 | Kyrgyzstan 2018 | Slovenia 2018 | Mexico 2016 | Portugal 2017 |
| Ethiopia 2018 | Maldives 2016 | The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 2016 | Panama 2018 | Switzerland 2018 |
| Ghana 2017 | Mongolia 2018 | Paraguay 2017 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 2016 | |
| Kenya 2018 | Philippines 2018 | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 2018 | ||
| Morocco 2016 | Qatar 2017 | |||
| Namibia 2016 | Republic of Korea 2018 | |||
| Nigeria 2017 | Saudi Arabia 2016 | |||
| South Africa 2016 | United Arab Emirates 2018 | |||
| Togo 2018 | Viet Nam 2016 |
