Kathmandu, October 14
Nepal has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2027–2029 term, securing 173 of the 180 votes cast in the UN General Assembly.
Nepal received the highest number of votes among countries elected from the Asia-Pacific region in the election held at the UN headquarters in New York.
Following the election, Nepal’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York issued a statement thanking all UN member states for their trust and support.
“We sincerely thank all UN member states for expressing their confidence in Nepal’s commitment to multilateralism, human rights, international law and a rules-based international system centred on the United Nations,” the mission said.
The mission also congratulated the other countries elected to the Council for the 2027–2029 term. They are Brazil, Burundi, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Moldova, Nigeria, Ukraine, Uruguay and Zambia.
Nepal said it remains committed to working closely with UN member states and other partners to protect human dignity, promote inclusion and social justice, and advance equitable and fair development for all.
Nepal has previously served two consecutive terms on the Council, from 2018 to 2020 and from 2021 to 2023. With its latest election, Nepal will begin its third term on January 1, 2027.
Established in 2006, the UN Human Rights Council is the organisation’s principal intergovernmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Council has 47 member states elected by the UN General Assembly for three-year terms, with seats allocated according to geographical representation.
The Council reviews the human rights situations of member states, discusses alleged violations, issues recommendations and encourages international cooperation to advance human rights. It also assesses the human rights records of all UN member states through the Universal Periodic Review process.
Nepal’s election provides an opportunity to strengthen its representation in international human rights forums and contribute to multilateral discussions on equality, inclusion, social justice, human dignity and respect for international law.
Its membership will also bring responsibilities to uphold international human rights commitments, protect fundamental freedoms and translate its stated commitment to universal human rights principles into practice.
