Australia to take a seat on UN Human Rights Council

PanARMENIAN.Net - Australia will take a seat on the powerful United Nations’ Human Rights Council for the first time after seeing off diplomatic powerhouse France, The Herald Sun reports exclusively.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has confirmed France’s withdrawal will clear the way for Australia and Spain to take up two vacancies on the council, from 2018.

France’s strategic withdrawal came after Australia secured 141 written pledges and more than 20 verbal pledges from 192 of the UN’s member countries to back Australia’s bid.

The result came after a mammoth lobbying effort led by Ms Bishop personally, and Australia’s network of ambassadors and diplomats around the globe, focusing particularly on small island nations and the Indian and Pacific oceans countries.

A plush toy kangaroo wearing a green and gold hoodie was also part of the “soft diplomacy’’ push.

Speaking in the Serbian capital Belgrade, Bishop said the bid was run under the existing budget.

“We didn’t use our aid budget, we didn’t make promises we couldn’t keep. We very much campaigned on our record and how we would act on the Human Rights Council,’’ she said.

“We also drew on our experience on the (UN) Security Council where Australia was considered to be a principled, pragmatic, outcomes-driven member and I think that certainly put us in a very positive light for the Human Rights Council.’’

The 47-member council, whose membership is chosen by the wider UN country network, has members including Saudi Arabia, which executes people for religious crimes, and China, which routinely abuses free speech and human rights.

Bishop said it was important democratic countries like Australia stood for election to the Human Rights Council on that basis.