Thailand respects the decision of UN members who voted to fill vacant seats in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) after it failed to gain enough votes to win a seat.
The Nation
October 23, 2014 1:00 am
Constructive role to continue; focus on campaign for place in UNSC
Thailand respects the decision of UN members who voted to fill vacant seats in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) after it failed to gain enough votes to win a seat.
Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow said it was a pity Thailand was not elected to one of four vacant seats in the rights council. “However, applying for a seat means competition. We lost the competition but the support we obtained accounted for about 70-80 per cent of UN members, meaning many countries still trust and believe in us.”
Although Thailand was not elected to the UN rights council, it would continue to place importance in the rights council and maintain a constructive role, he said.
Thailand was defeated in the UN General Assembly’s election for 15 new members of the 47-member Council on Tuesday. With only four Asian seats available, Qatar edged out Thailand with 142 votes compared to Bangkok’s 136. India got the most votes with 162, Indonesia had 152, and Bangladesh 149. The new members will serve a three-year term starting on January 1, 2015.
India and Indonesia, current members of the UNHRC, won their bids for re-election. The UN has 193 member states.
Thailand won the rights council seat for the first time in 2010-2013 and was represented by Sihasak, then ambassador and permanent representative of Thailand to the UN Office in Geneva. He was also voted the council’s president.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee said Thailand respected the decision and accepted the results of the voting in the matter. “Thailand accepts the result, respects the decision of the members and congratulates all new members of the UNHRC,” he said.
This defeat will not jeopardise Thailand’s foreign policy and its role in the international community. He said Bangkok would continue its campaign to get a seat as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2017-2018, he said.
The campaign to gain a seat in the UN rights body took place while Thailand was undergoing a military coup. The junta government was strongly criticised for its human rights practices and suppression of democracy.
Sek said, “We hope the UN members did not link their decisions to the political situation in Thailand. We played constructive roles in promoting and protecting human rights while we were a member previously.”
