Zambia has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2027-2029 term after securing 177 votes in the UN General Assembly, the highest number obtained by any candidate country in this year’s election.
The southern African nation received 177 of the 181 valid votes cast by UN member states during elections held at the General Assembly headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
Zambia was among 15 countries elected to the 47-member council, alongside Burundi, Ghana and Nigeria from Africa, as well as Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Nepal, Moldova, Ukraine and Uruguay.
The newly elected members will begin their three-year terms on 1 January 2027, replacing countries whose mandates expire at the end of this year.
President Hakainde Hichilema welcomed the outcome, describing it as a strong endorsement of Zambia’s commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights.
In a statement following the vote, Hichilema thanked UN member states for their support and said the result reflected confidence in Zambia’s human rights record and its commitment to international cooperation.
The UNHRC is the UN’s principal intergovernmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide.
Established in 2006 by the UN General Assembly, the council monitors human rights situations, conducts periodic reviews of member states and addresses allegations of violations across the globe.
Its 47 seats are allocated according to geographical representation, with members elected by the General Assembly through a secret ballot.
Countries serve three-year terms and may be re-elected once, allowing a maximum of two consecutive terms.
Four seats in the latest election were allocated to African countries. Zambia, Burundi, Ghana and Nigeria were elected unopposed to fill the vacancies available to the continent.
JN/APA