Australia’s two-year-long campaign for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council may end with a no-contest victory thanks to French diplomats pulling out of the race, SBS World News understands.
Australia, Spain and France were competing for two vacant seats on the Council, with the winners to be decided by a vote of all United Nations member countries in October.
But now, SBS World News has learned France will postpone its bid until 2021.
The two vacant seats are reserved for countries in the Western European and Others Group, of which Australia is a member.
Australia and Spain will still need to win the majority-approval of the UN General Assembly at the elections in October, but Professor Rothwell points out the UN will have little choice but to approve the bids unless another applicant materialises.
The members of the General Assembly elect the members who occupy the UNHRC's 47 seats. The term of each seat is three years, and no member may occupy a seat for more than two consecutive terms. The seats are distributed among the UN's regional groups as follows: 13 for Africa, 13 for Asia, six for Eastern Europe, eight for Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC), and seven for the Western European and Others Group (WEOG).
