Slovakia, represented by Fedor Rosocha, the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations office and other international organisations in Geneva, was elected as vice-president of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on June 21, the press department of the Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry told the TASR newswire on the same day.
According to the ministry, Slovakia's nomination from the Eastern European Group is due to the country's engagement in the council, human rights being a priority in Slovakia's foreign policy as well as high standards of support and protection of human rights at the national level.
Slovakia will hold the post at a time in which the UNHRC is at a crossroads – a revision of the council is due in 2011 after five years of its existence. The only EU-member country in a five-strong bureau, Slovakia will be thorough in pushing forward its priorities and proper functioning vis-à-vis the tackling of situations involving human rights around the globe, said the ministry.
Slovakia has been a UNHRC member since June 2008 after it was supported, in a secret vote, by 135 UN-member countries. The country's mandate is due to expire in June 2011.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
