15 States Elected to UN Human Rights Council in Uncontested Slates
The UN General Assembly elected 15 states to three-year terms on the Human Rights Council on Oct. 13, 2026, in an election where none of the five regional groups had competing candidates. Each group put forward exactly as many candidates as seats being filled. The new terms begin Jan. 1, 2027.
The election took place at the General Assembly in New York. Although voters had no alternative candidate within any regional group, the Assembly still held a ballot. UN guidance says Council members are elected individually by secret ballot and must receive an absolute majority.
The elected states are Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Burundi for African seats; Kuwait, Nepal, Jordan and Japan for Asia-Pacific seats; Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay for Latin America and the Caribbean; Moldova and Ukraine for Eastern Europe; and Ireland and Germany for Western Europe and Others. The Council has 47 members.
Seats and candidate totals
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported 181 valid votes in each regional ballot. The table lists the seats filled in this election and the reported vote total for each successful candidate. Those totals measure support in the election, not the countries’ human-rights records.
| Regional group | Seats filled | Elected candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 4 | Zambia 177; Ghana 173; Nigeria 172; Burundi 160 |
| Asia-Pacific | 4 | Kuwait 173; Nepal 173; Jordan 171; Japan 166 |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 | Brazil 170; Dominican Republic 170; Uruguay 165 |
| Eastern Europe | 2 | Moldova 168; Ukraine 162 |
| Western Europe and Others | 2 | Ireland 165; Germany 163 |
Zambia had the highest reported total, with 177 votes, and Burundi the lowest, with 160. The differing totals do not change the central feature of the election: in every group, the number of candidates matched the number of seats available.
Rights groups criticize lack of competition
Human Rights Watch criticized the uncontested slates and urged governments to put forward competitive candidate lists, The Associated Press reported. HRW also raised concerns about Burundi, Nigeria, Brazil and Ukraine; those are the organization’s criticisms, not findings by the United Nations. The criticism addresses the choices presented to General Assembly voters and does not alter the election result.
A UN spokesperson told AP that choosing candidates was a matter for member states, while saying elected Council members have an added responsibility to protect human rights at home and around the world.
The International Service for Human Rights said this was the second consecutive year with uncompetitive regional slates and the sixth such election overall. ISHR listed 2008, 2009, 2018, 2021 and 2025 as the previous instances. It called for competitive slates and meaningful pledges from candidates.
ISHR also assessed candidates against 17 criteria in its scorecards and said six of the 15 met a majority of them. That is ISHR’s assessment, not an official UN determination.
The Council’s role
The Human Rights Council is the UN system’s main intergovernmental body for human rights. Its work includes reviewing countries’ human-rights records, appointing independent investigators and conducting fact-finding missions.
The 15 elected states will take up their seats when their terms start on Jan. 1, 2027. Until then, the election’s result is set, while the lack of competing regional candidates remains the defining feature of how the seats were contested.
Sources
- Results of the Election of the members of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Human Rights Council Elections and Appointments: Frequently Asked Questions, United Nations General Assembly
- Uncontested vote lands 15 new States at the UN Human Rights Council, International Service for Human Rights
- Human rights groups criticize uncontested election to UN body | AP News, The Associated Press
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