Fifteen members have been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council in a vote that saw no competition for any of the available seats. The 193-member General Assembly held the election on Tuesday, resulting in all regional groups putting forward the exact number of candidates for the three-year terms.

This marks the second consecutive year that the elections for the 47-nation council have been uncontested. Human rights organizations have voiced strong disapproval, arguing that this process undermines accountability and allows countries with questionable human rights records to gain membership.

Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, criticized the outcome, stating that the "uncompetitive vote makes a mockery of the word ‘election’." He urged UN member nations to demand competitive slates, enabling them to reject candidates with poor human rights histories.

The implications of this uncontested election are significant for the council's credibility. The Human Rights Council is tasked with reviewing the human rights records of all nations, appointing independent investigators for issues like torture, and dispatching fact-finding missions to investigate alleged violations.

Countries elected include Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Burundi from the Africa group; Kuwait, Nepal, Jordan, and Japan from the Asia-Pacific group; Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay from the Latin America and Caribbean group; Ireland and Germany from the Western European and Others group; and Moldova and Ukraine from the Central and East European group.

The council, established in 2006 to replace a discredited commission, has faced similar criticisms in the past. Concerns have been raised that countries seek membership to shield themselves and their allies from scrutiny.

In a previous instance, former US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the council, citing alleged anti-Israel bias.

A UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, commented on the vote, stating that it is a matter for the member states. However, he added that "member states who are elected to this organisation’s highest human rights body have an added responsibility to protect human rights."