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Nigeria has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for a three-year term.
The council announced the election in a post on X on Tuesday, listing Nigeria among 15 countries elected by the UN General Assembly to serve on the council from 2027 to 2029.
In February, Nigeria declared its candidacy for a seat on the UNHRC, with a commitment to fully cooperate with the council’s mechanisms, finance safe schools, and invest in secure learning environments to prioritise children’s safety amid security threats.
Nigeria’s last membership term on the UNHRC ended in 2020, following its re-election in 2017 for the 2018-2020 period.
The West-African country secured the seat with 172 votes out of 181 valid votes cast by member states.
The Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body within the UN system responsible for promoting and protecting human rights globally.
It also addresses human rights violations and makes recommendations on situations requiring international attention.
The council comprises 47 member states elected by the UN General Assembly(UNGA) through a direct and secret ballot. Elections take into account candidates’ contributions to human rights promotion and protection, as well as their voluntary pledges and commitments.
Membership is allocated according to equitable geographical distribution, with African states holding 13 seats, the Asia-Pacific region 13, Latin American and Caribbean states eight, Western European and other states seven, and Eastern European states six.
Nigeria’s election comes with the responsibility to uphold high human rights standards, in line with the principles established when the General Assembly adopted Resolution 60/251 in March 2006 to create the council.
Members serve three-year terms and cannot seek immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.
The council meets at the UN Office in Geneva, Switzerland, and considers human rights issues and situations throughout the year.
Other countries elected for this new term are Brazil, Burundi, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Nepal, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Uruguay and Zambia.
