Elections to the UN Security Council next month show why competition is important.
UN votes for seats on important bodies such as the Security Council and the Human Rights Council often mock the word “election”. They typically have little or no competition, ensuring victory for even the least-qualified candidates.
On June 6, the General Assembly of 193 countries is scheduled to elect five members to the Security Council for 2023-2024. delegation gets to choose between Slovenia and Belarus for an Eastern European seat, and South Korea And Tajikistan For an Asian seat. The Western, African and Latin American/Caribbean regional slates are all void of competition.
Many delegations and their regional groups prefer non-competitive slates. He says that all countries should get a chance to serve in UN bodies. But non-competitive slates undermine the purpose of the election, which is to enable member states to choose the most qualified candidates over others.
Case in point: Belarus wants a seat on the Security Council, the United Nations body overseeing international peace and security. Despite its chronic dysfunction, it is the most powerful body of the United Nations. It can authorize military force and impose sanctions. Globally, it oversees many peacekeeping and political missions, whose staff includes hundreds of human rights officers who monitor and report abuses.
See Belarus. on 16 may United Nations Debate With the ambassadors of Belarus and Slovenia, Belarusian Ambassador Valentin Rybakov claimed to recognize the importance of human rights, But within their country there is a climate of repression and fear with widespread rights violations can be classified as a crime against humanity, Human rights defenders including 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatsky, He has been imprisoned on serious charges. In the General Assembly, Belarus has opposed the condemnation of Russian atrocities in Ukraine and whitewash efforts aided of China crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.
Tajikistan’s rights record has deteriorated amid a government-led crackdown on freedom of expression and political opposition. Furthermore, in Tajikistan’s border conflict with Kyrgyzstan, both sides have made clear commitments. war crimes with impunity.
Member states cannot vote for Russia, China, or the other three permanent Security Council members. But when elections for alternating seats are competitive, member states must reject abusive governments. They should do so on June 6.