UN member states re-admit Libya to the UN Human Rights Council

UN member states re-admit Libya to the UN Human Rights Council

2011-11-20 06:30:10 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- United Nations (UN) member states on Friday voted to re-admit Libya as a member of the UN Human Rights Council after the country's civil was has come to an end.

The decision to re-admit Libya comes eight months after the North African country was suspended for its violent bloody crackdown on anti-government protests. The regime, led by Muammar Gaddafi, was eventually toppled and a transitional government led by former rebels has now assumed power.

The UN General Assembly gathered in New York on Friday and approved Libya's re-admission to the UN Human Rights Council. A total of 123 countries voted in favor of the restoration of Libyan membership to the Council while four countries voted against and six abstained.

A resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly welcomed the recent commitments made by the new Libyan government to promote and protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law and to cooperate with relevant international human rights mechanisms.

The 47 members of the Council, which was set up in 2006 and is based in Geneva, are divided according to a geographical formula. Libya's membership to the Council is set to end in 2013 after it was elected last year.

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