Member from same region to fill US seat in HR Council: UN
United Nations, June 21 : The seat in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) vacated by the US will be filled by a member from the same regional group. A spokesman for Miroslav Lajcak, President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), announced this on Wednesday.
The General Assembly resolution that established the Human Rights Council in 2006 does not contain any reference to possible withdrawal by members from the council, said Brenden Varma, the spokesman.
But the resolution provides for geographic distribution of the 47 members of the council, he said. Therefore, the vacancy left by the US will have to be filled through election in the General Assembly of a candidate from the Western European and others group, he said.
As the US is the first member to withdraw from the Human Rights Council, there is no past practice in terms of procedures for withdrawal or for replacement, said Varma. "Now we are looking into possible next steps."
But as the first step, he said, the General Assembly is waiting for the official notification of the US on its withdrawal.
On reports of Russia putting itself forward for candidature, Varma said the country does not qualify as it was not from the concerned regional group.
Notification of candidature would normally go to the UN Secretariat before the General Assembly President can decide on an election. There is no timeframe for such an election, said Varma.
It remains unclear where a replacement will be determined as the current session of the General Assembly is wrapping up its business.
The members of the UN Human Rights Council are elected each year in the General Assembly for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. The US was in the middle of its 2016-19 term when it announced its withdrawal on Tuesday.
Lajcak regretted the US withdrawal.
"The President of the General Assembly, Miroslav Lajcak, regrets the decision of the US to withdraw from the Human Rights Council," Varma said in a statement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also regretted the US decision.
"The secretary-general would have much preferred for the US to remain in the Human Rights Council. The UN's Human Rights architecture plays a very important role in the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide," said a spokesman for Guterres.
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Cong cites Kangana's purported remarks to accuse BJP of wanting to bring back repealed farm laws
New Delhi, Sep 24: The Congress on Tuesday cited BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's purported remarks on farm laws to allege that the ruling party was making efforts to bring back the three laws that were repealed in 2021, and asserted that Haryana will give a befitting reply to it.
The Congress shared on X an undated video of Ranaut in which she is purportedly saying in Hindi, "Farm laws that have been repealed should be brought back. I think this may get controversial. The laws in farmers' interest be brought back. Farmers should themselves demand this (to bring farm laws back) so that there is no hindrance to their prosperity.
"Farmers are a pillar of strength in India's progress. Only in some states, they had objected to farm laws. I appeal with folded hands that farm laws should be brought back in the interest of farmers."
In a post in Hindi along with the video, the Congress said, "The three black laws imposed on farmers should be brought back: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has said this. More than 750 farmers of the country were martyred, only then did the Modi government wake up and these black laws were withdrawn."
Now BJP MPs are planning to bring back these laws, the Congress alleged.
"The Congress is with the farmers. These black laws will never return, no matter how hard Narendra Modi and his MPs try," the opposition party said on X.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also shared the video of Ranaut on X and said, "'All three farm laws should be brought back': BJP MP Kangana Ranaut. More than 750 farmers were martyred while protesting against the three black farmer laws. Efforts are being made to bring them back."
"We will never let that happen. Haryana will answer first," she said in an apparent reference to the assembly polls in Haryana.
Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also shared the video on X and said it was the BJP's "real thinking".
"How many times will you deceive the farmers, you two-faced people?" Khera said in a post in Hindi.
The three laws -- Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act -- were repealed in November 2021.
The farmers' protest started at the fag-end of November 2020 and ended after Parliament repealed the three laws. The legislations came into force in June 2020 and were repealed in November 2021.
“तीनों किसान क़ानून वापस लाये जाने चाहिए” : BJP MP कंगना रनौत
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) September 24, 2024
जिन तीन काले किसान विरोधी क़ानूनों की मुख़ालिफ़त करते 750 से ज़्यादा किसान शहीद हो गए
उनको दोबारा से लाने की कोशिश की जा रही है. हम ऐसा कभी नहीं होने देंगे
सबसे पहला जवाब हरियाणा देगा pic.twitter.com/kRAkRuE2cc
