VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0832/01 1112329
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 212329Z APR 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8783
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2100

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000832 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KUNR UNGA
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: UN SECRETARIAT BRIEFS ON 
UPCOMING ELECTIONS 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY.  The GA Secretariat and Office of Legal Affairs 
provided a briefing April 19 on plans and preparations for 
the May 9 election of members of the Human Rights Council 
(HRC).  The Secretariat reiterated that the HRC elections 
will provide for each candidate to be voted directly and 
individually by secret ballot, with all vacancies balloted 
regardless of whether or not there are regional clean slates. 
 Despite concerns voiced by several states that the regional 
groups' slates should be shown on the ballot, the Secretariat 
confirmed that GA members will need to write in their 
choices.  Candidates can include any member state from a 
pertinent region even if a member has not declared its 
candidacy.  There is no restriction planned on the number of 
ballots that may be held on May 9 and subsequently before the 
HRC terms begin on June 19, as long as the GA President 
determines progress is being made.  The drawing of lots for 
the staggering of initial terms will take place immediately 
following the election.  The Secretariat circulated a list of 
candidatures that have been declared to the United Nations, 
and noted that the UN will translate and prepare as official 
UN documents the voluntary pledges and commitments that HRC 
candidates present before May 1.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  On April 19, the GA Secretariat and Office of Legal 
Affairs provided a briefing on plans and preparations for the 
May 9 election of members of the Human Rights Council (HRC). 
Officials outlined the provisions contained in the HRC 
resolution itself (A/Res/60/251) and in the Secretariat 
information note regarding the election (A/INF/60/6) and 
answered numerous questions posed by delegations. 
 
VOTING PROCEDURES AND BALLOTING 
 
¶3.  The Secretariat reiterated that the HRC elections will 
provide for each candidate to be voted directly and 
individually by secret ballot, with all vacancies balloted 
regardless of whether or not there are regional clean slates. 
  In order to be elected, a Member State would need to obtain 
votes from the majority of the members of the General 
Assembly (absolute majority of 96 votes).  Consistent with GA 
practice, if a greater number of Member States than available 
vacancies for the region obtain the required majority on the 
same ballot, those Member States which have obtained the 
largest number of votes above the required majority will be 
considered as elected, up to the number of seats to be 
filled.  The elections will be held in accordance with the 
relevant GA Rules of Procedure on elections, rules 92 to 94. 
 
¶4.  As the Secretariat explained, given that the resolution 
provides that membership shall be open to all States Members 
of the United Nations, no nomination or endorsement by 
regional groups is necessary, and there is no cut-off date 
for a Member State to announce its candidacy.  Despite 
concerns voiced by several states (particularly from the 
African Group, whose group members have said expects to 
present a clean, endorsed regional slate) that the regional 
groups' slates should be shown on the ballot, the Secretariat 
said that ballots for each region will include only blank 
lines equal in number to the number of vacancies for that 
region.  GA members will need to write in their choices, 
which can include any member state from a pertinent region, 
even if a member has not declared its candidacy.  The 
Secretariat agreed that the regional group's nominations 
 
SIPDIS 
could be informally circulated during this process. 
 
¶5. Also with regard to balloting, the GA Secretariat advised 
that the first round of voting will be open to all Member 
States in the region, regardless of whether their candidature 
had been announced in advance.  In the next two rounds, 
voting would be restricted to the top vote-getters up to 
twice as many candidates as remaining seats to be filled 
(e.g. if there are 2 remaining vacancies, 4 candidates could 
remain on the ballot; if there are 3 vacancies, 6 candidates 
could remain on the ballot).  After three rounds, the 
Secretariat said, the balloting would again be opened to all 
 
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Member States of the region to fill the remaining seats. 
Balloting would continue until all the seats are filled.  The 
Secretariat noted that this procedure for restricted and 
 
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unrestricted ballots is pursuant to Rules 92 to 94 of the GA 
Rules of Procedure. 
 
¶6.  In response to questions, the Secretariat confirmed that 
there is no restriction planned on the number of ballots that 
may be held on May 9 and subsequently before the HRC terms 
begin on June 19, as long as the GA President determines 
progress is being made.   They also confirmed that the HRC 
may convene its work even if not all 47 members have been 
elected by June 19.  A quorum of one-third of the 47 members 
suffices to convene a session, while one-half of the 47 
members would be required to take decisions.   Responding to 
a question, the Secretariat also stated its expectation that 
terms for HRC members will follow the pattern set for this 
 
 
year, with terms beginning (approximately) on June 19. 
 
¶7.  The drawing of lots for the staggering of initial terms 
will take place immediately following the election.  The 
President of the GA will conduct the drawing of lots by 
region as part of a GA meeting.  In response to a question 
from Japan, the Secretariat confirmed that regardless of 
whether the first term is 1, 2 or 3 years, it will be 
considered a full term.  (Note:  According to the HRC 
resolution, after two consecutive terms, a Member State is 
not eligible for immediate re-election.  End Note.) 
 
ANNOUNCED CANDIDATURES: 
 
¶8.  The Secretariat circulated, as an informal document, a 
list of candidatures of which the United Nations has been 
notified.  A number of delegations noted that while they had 
announced their candidatures, their countries were not 
reflected on this list.  The Secretariat promised to update 
the UN website on the HRC election 
(www.un.org/ga/60/elect/hrc) with this information. 
Including announcements made at the meeting, the UN lists of 
candidates for each region include the following Member 
States: 
 
African Group (13 seats):  Algeria, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, 
Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Zambia, 
Cameroon, Gabon, South Africa  (Note:  Interventions by 
several African group Member States indicated the intention 
for the group to reach consensus on a list of candidates for 
each sub-region and the African region as a whole, with the 
full regional list to be endorsed by the group.  Madagascar 
also indicated its intended candidacy to the U.S. Embassy in 
Antanarivo on April 13.  On April 21, USUN received a dip 
note announcing Djibouti's candidacy.  End Note.) 
 
Asian Group (13 seats):  Bangladesh, Bahrain, China, India, 
Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgystan, Lebanon, Malaysia, 
Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Saudi 
Arabia  (Note:  Iraq also conveyed its candidacy to USUN via 
dip note on March 20.  End Note.) 
 
Eastern European Group (6 seats):  Albania, Armenia, 
Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, 
Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, 
Ukraine  (Note:  U.S. Mission Geneva also received a dip note 
indicating Croatia's candidacy on March 29.  End Note.) 
 
GRULAC (8 seats):  Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, 
Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay, 
Venezuela 
 
WEOG (7 seats):  Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, 
Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom 
 
PLEDGES AND COMMITMENTS BY HRC CANDIDATES 
 
¶9.  The Secretariat repeatedly referred to the provision in 
OP 8 of the resolution that "when electing members of the 
Council, Member States shall take into account the 
contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of 
human rights and their voluntary pledges and commitments made 
thereto."  They noted that links to the pledges and 
commitments submitted by a number of countries were already 
available on the website.  In addition, and in light of 
requests by several delegations, the Secretariat has agreed 
to translate and prepare as official UN documents the 
voluntary pledges and commitments that HRC candidates present 
before May 1.  In response to a question from the United 
Kingdom, the Secretariat confirmed there will not be a PBI 
associated with this work. 
 
BOLTON