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国际英语新闻：United States elected to UN Human Rights Council

2009-05-13来源:和谐英语

UNITED NATIONS, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Tuesday was elected for a three-year term to the 47-member UN Human Rights Council for the first time.

The U.S. election victory was contained in the outcome of the election of 18 members of the UN human rights body at a plenary meeting of the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly.

The United States on Tuesday was elected for a three-year term to the 47-member UN Human Rights Council for the first time.

The 63rd session of the 83rd Planary meeting of the UN General Assembly is held at the UN headquarters in New York, the U.S. May 12, 2009. Eighteen UN members were elected to the UN Human Rights Council during the meeting on Tuesday. The U.S. won 167 votes to enter the UN Human Rights Council for the first time.

Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters after the meeting that the United States is "very pleased to be elected and join" the council.

"We are particularly gratified by the strong support. We received 90 percent of the valuable vote cast," Rice said.

U.S. UN Ambassador Susan Rice (1st R) receives congratulations from representatives of other UN member states after the U.S. has been elected to the Human Rights Council at the 63rd session of the 83rd Planary meeting of the UN General Assembly held at the UN headquarters in New York, the U.S. May 12, 2009. Eighteen UN members were elected to the UN Human Rights Council during the meeting on Tuesday. The U.S. won 167 votes to enter the UN Human Rights Council for the first time

"We are gratified by the strong showing of encouragement for the United States to again play a meaningful leadership role in multilateral organizations including the United Nations," she said.

The new U.S. administration of President Barack Obama has reversed the policy of his predecessor George W. Bush, who shunned the council as a forum for attacking Israel, by deciding to run for one of three vacant seats for the "Western European and other states" group.

Representatives cast their votes during the 63rd session of the 83rd Planary meeting of the UN General Assembly held at the UN headquarters in New York, the U.S. May 12, 2009.

The Council members are elected by a secret ballot in the General Assembly and must receive at least 97 votes of the Assembly's 192 votes. Members serve for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.

The Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, which is the major United Nations body working to promote and protect human rights, was set up by the General Assembly on March 15, 2006, to replace and build upon the achievements of the 60-year-old Commission on Human Rights.

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国际英语新闻：United States elected to UN Human Rights Council

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