India Elected to UN Human Rights Council for Seventh Time
New York: India has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the term 2026-28, marking the country’s seventh mandate at the Geneva-based rights body. Announcing the results of the election on Tuesday, the UNHRC said in a social media post that India’s three-year term will begin on January 1, 2026.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, thanked all the delegations for their overwhelming support in a social media post.
“India was today elected to the Human Rights Council for the seventh time for the term 2026-28,” he said.
The diplomat said this election reflects India’s unwavering commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms.
“We look forward to serving this goal throughout our tenure.”
The UN Human Rights Council consists of 47 member states elected by the UN General Assembly for three-year terms within the framework of equitable geographical distribution rules.
Council seats are allocated to five regional groups as follows: African States, 13 seats; Asia-Pacific States, 13 seats; Eastern European States, 6 seats; Latin American and Caribbean States, 8 seats; and Western Europe and other States, 7 seats.
India, which last served at the UNHRC in 2024 after two consecutive terms, had a gap this year before holding elections for the 2026-28 term in line with rules prohibiting a third consecutive term.
India has been a member of the Council continuously since its establishment in 2006, except for three forced breaks in 2011, 2018 and 2025. In the first Council elections in 2006, India was elected with the highest number of votes, 173 out of 190 votes. Since then, he has served six terms in India: 2006-2007, 2008-2010, 2012-2014, 2015-2017, 2019-2021 and 2022-2024.
Angola, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Iraq, Italy, Mauritius, Pakistan, Slovenia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Vietnam are the other members elected for a three-year term starting January 1, 2026, the UNHRC said.
