UAE wins Human Rights Council seat for second three-year term

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 14:04 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 New York, (IINA) - The United Arab Emirates has won a second three-year term membership of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), starting from the beginning of 2016 and ending in 2018, WAM reported. The UAE was elected in a secret ballot conducted by the UN General Assembly in which 32 candidate countries from different geographical groups competed for 18 vacant seats. The UAE got 159 votes, the second highest vote turnout of the total votes garnered by the other Asian countries. Emeriti Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash described the UAE win as a testimony to its effective contribution to the HRC and reflection of its good network of relations and its role in the human rights-related issues. He noted that the HRC is considered an effective tool for human rights and those human rights issues must not be politicized or exploited to impose individual approaches. "We all agree on general values. On the other hand, there are cultural peculiarities that must be respected and accepted," he said. Gargash said that the UAE's role in the HRC would represent the developing world's aspirations to move forward on the human rights. He also pointed out that this issue should not be monopolized by an egoistic eye that does not see the natural diversity. He also said the UAE will seek to prove worthy of the international community's trust through more efforts and initiatives to boost the Council's role. The minister extended gratitude to the UAE leadership for providing the ambitious vision and for the continuous efforts to achieve development. He also applauded Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nahyan for leading the diplomatic campaign which guaranteed success to the UAE and said that the teamwork and efforts of the Emirati diplomacy also played a significant role in that success. AG/IINA