Pakistan failed to win a re-election to the top UN human rights body, garnering just 105 votes in the 193-member General Assembly. The General Assembly on Wednesday elected 18 members of the UN Human Rights Council through a secret ballot. Pakistan’s current term at the Council is set to expire on December 31 and it was seeking re-election to the 47-member Human Rights Council. Sources said the loss came as a setback to the Pakistani delegation that had appeared confident of winning the seat. The sources attributed the loss to the way the Pakistani delegation fought the election, adding that it could not lobby effectively for the vote.The new members, who will start their three-year terms beginning January 1 next year, are Belgium, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Kenya, Panama, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Togo, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. The United Nation and its myriad committees constantly keep reshuffling their memberships after a few years to remain impartial and inclusive; failing to be on the UNHCR is not catastrophic, only matter of routine. The Senators concerns that Pakistan’s mediocre human rights record may have contributed to this shortcoming must be considered in full, especially since the establishment claims that the world has recognized the strides it has made in that department.But the real reason may be a little more mundane. PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar hit the nail on the head; the country had no permanent foreign minister for the past three years, and administrative mismanagement saw the permanent UN representative replaced 12 days before the vote, which resulted in the newcomer being unable to lobby effectively. Not being a member of the UNHRC is a disappointment, but Pakistan is member of 14 other committees, so calling for the heads of the lobbying department is extreme. However getting the foreign office in order is a reasonable objective, one that the situation demands.The senators should seek accountability over the lack of permanency in the department.
pk.shafaqna.com
