NEW YORK, Oct 10 (IPS) – Egypt and Vietnam are on course to secure seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council despite being woefully unqualified for membership. The UN General Assembly will elect the members of the UN’s top rights body in a non-competitive vote on October 14, 2025.
These two countries are among 14 member states seeking a three-year term on the 47-nation Human Rights Council starting in January 2026. Vietnam, currently a member of the Council, is seeking re-election.
“Uncompetitive UN votes allow governments like Egypt and Vietnam to join the Human Rights Council, threatening to ridicule the Council,” said Louis Charbonneau, UN director of Human Rights Watch. “UN member states must stop handing out Council seats on a silver platter to serial rights violators.”
Egypt, together with Angola, Mauritius and South Africa, is a candidate for four African seats. India, Iraq and Pakistan join Vietnam for the four Asian seats. For Latin America and the Caribbean, Chile and Ecuador are unopposed for two seats.
In the Western group, Italy and Great Britain are candidates for two available seats, while Estonia and Slovenia are candidates for two seats for Central and Eastern Europe.
General Assembly Resolution 60/251, which established the Human Rights Council in 2006, urges states voting for members to “take into account the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of human rights.” Council members are expected to “maintain the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights” at home and abroad and “cooperate fully with the Council.”
Candidates need only a simple majority in the secret ballot in the General Assembly of 193 countries to secure a seat on the Human Rights Council. That makes it very unlikely that any of the candidates will be elected. Nevertheless, UN member states may not vote for abusive governments that are demonstrably ineligible for membership of the Council.
The government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has continued a widespread repression, systematically arresting and punishing peaceful critics and activists and effectively criminalizing peaceful dissent. Government security forces have committed serious human rights violations with near impunity. These include the killing of hundreds of largely peaceful protesters and the widespread, systematic torture of prisoners, which most likely amounts to crimes against humanity.
The government is also trying to prevent its own citizens from engaging with the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, and punishes those who engage in brutal reprisals. It ignores requests from UN experts to visit the country.
Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party maintains a monopoly on political power and will not allow any challenge to its leadership. Fundamental rights are severely restricted, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and religion. Rights activists and bloggers face police harassment, intimidation, restricted movement, and arbitrary arrest and detention.
Mauritius and Great Britain are among the participating countries. has signed a treaty that recognizes Mauritius’ sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, but fails to address the ongoing crimes against humanity against the Chagossians and their right of return to all islands.
Britain forcibly expelled the Chagossian people between 1965 and 1973 so that the US could build a military base. Mauritius and Britain must fulfill their international rights obligations, including the right of Chagossians to return, and provide an effective remedy and reparations.
Angolan President João Lourenço has pledged to protect human rights, although Angolan security forces have used excessive force against political activists and peaceful protesters. South Africa has taken a strong stand on responsibility over Palestine and other issues. It should be just as robust when it comes to rights abuses by Russia and China.
India’s Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has denied access to UN experts. Modi’s party leaders and supporters repeatedly vilify and attack Muslims and Christians with impunity, while authorities often punish those who protest this campaign of Hindu majoritarianism.
Pakistan must stop using draconian anti-terrorism and sedition laws to intimidate peaceful critics and repeal its blasphemy laws. The government must prosecute those responsible for inciting and attacking minorities and marginalized communities.
In 2024, Iraq passed a law criminalizing same-sex relationships and transgender expression. Violence and discrimination against LGBT people are widespread, for which no one is held accountable. Iraqi authorities have increasingly repressed activists and journalists.
In Ecuador, the government has attacked judicial independence and security forces have committed serious human rights violations since President Daniel Noboa declared an “internal armed conflict” in January 2024.
In Chile, the government of President Gabriel Boric has played a leading role in calling out human rights abuses around the world. However, human rights challenges, including racism and abuse against migrants, remain a problem in the country.
In Britain, authorities must end their crackdown on freedom of assembly. Many peaceful demonstrators in support of Palestinians or action against climate change have been arrested and some have been jailed after their demonstration.
Italy must stop criminalizing and hindering rescue operations at sea and stop allowing Libyan forces to intercept and return migrants and refugees to Libya, where they face arbitrary detention and serious abuse. Italy also failed to comply with a 2025 International Criminal Court arrest warrant by returning a wanted suspect to Libya instead of The Hague.
The Human Rights Council has played a crucial role in investigating abuses in Syria, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Israel/Palestine and elsewhere. It recently launched an investigation into serious crimes in Afghanistan by all sides – both past and present – and expanded its fact-finding mission into Sudan. Other countries and situations require careful investigation.
Council members should push for investigations into abuses by great powers, such as China’s crimes against humanity against Uighurs and others in Xinjiang, and address US extrajudicial killings of suspected drug traffickers on maritime vessels.
For the Council’s investigation to be credible, it needs funding. It is crucial that countries pay their established UN contributions while encouraging voluntary contributions. This will ensure that independent human rights investigations do not fall victim to the UN financial crisis, which results from the Trump administration’s late payment of virtually all payments to the UN and China and others.
“The Human Rights Council has saved countless lives by conducting countless human rights investigations that deter governments and armed groups from committing abuses,” Charbonneau said. “All governments must recognize that it is in their interest to pay their UN dues promptly so that the Council for Rights can do its work.”
IPS an agency
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