The 77th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly kicks off on September 13, 2022, at the UN Headquarters in New York. Various topics will be discussed during the general assembly including preventing famine, eliminating nuclear weapons and how to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: VCG

China was successfully re-elected as a member of the Human Rights Council on Tuesday at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, with a term from 2024 to 2026. China expressed heartfelt gratitude for the trust and support given by the majority of member states and extended warm congratulations to other members elected during the same period, according to a release from China's Permanent Mission to the UN.

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday elected 15 new countries to serve on the Human Rights Council - Albania, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Malawi, and the Netherlands - to serve for three years, beginning January 1, 2024.

China's Permanent Mission to the UN said in the release that China adheres to the principle of putting people first and insists on following a path of human rights development that is in line with the trend of the times and suitable for its national conditions. In the process of promoting China's modernization, China continuously improves the level of human rights protection and promotes comprehensive economic and social development. 

This is the sixth time that China has served as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, making it one of the countries with the most elections, which fully demonstrates the international community's full recognition of China's achievements in the field of human rights and its active participation in international human rights cooperation, said the release. 

It also noted that China will take this election as an opportunity to continue promoting the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom for all mankind, practice true multilateralism, actively participate in the work of the Human Rights Council, engage in constructive dialogue and cooperation with all parties, oppose the politicization of human rights issues and the practice of double standards, and contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to the healthy development of the international human rights cause.

Before the election, some anti-China forces in the US and Western countries attempted to deny China's seat based on unfounded accusations over China's human rights record. The moves to weaponize human rights were criticized by analysts. 

The Human Rights Council was established in 2006 as a UN institution responsible for promoting and protecting human rights. It is a subsidiary body of the General Assembly and consists of 47 member states. Council members are elected by the General Assembly for a term of three years and can only be re-elected for one consecutive term. 

China has been successfully elected as a member of the Human Rights Council six times in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2020, and 2023.

Global Times