UNITED NATIONS: Saudi Arabia, China, Cuba and Russia yesterday won three-year seats on the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, the top UN rights body. Also winning seats on the 47-nation council were Algeria, Britain, France, Mexico, Maldives, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Vietnam, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The annual election for one-third of the council’s membership was held in the 193-nation UN General Assembly. South Sudan and Uruguay failed to win election because of competitive slates in their regional groups. The other regions had uncontested ballots. The new members will be on the council from 2014 through 2016. “With the return of China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Cuba, human rights defenders will have their work cut out for them at the council next year,” said Peggy Hicks of the New York-based Human Rights Watch.
