No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsGlobalCosta Rica loses seat on UN Human Rights Council

Costa Rica loses seat on UN Human Rights Council

After the votes were tallied on Tuesday, Costa Rica ended up short the two-thirds support from the United Nations General Assembly needed to keep its seat on the Human Rights Council. Costa Rica was one of four countries running for three open seats for Latin American and Caribbean states. The Central American country that has long advocated diplomatically for global human rights issues – but which has sometimes fallen short back home – was edged out by Bolivia, El Salvador and Paraguay.

Costa Rica collected 120 votes from the U.N. General Assembly of the 129 minimum required to maintain its seat on the 47-member body. Human rights have been a banner issue for Costa Rica’s foreign policy, and President Luis Guillermo Solís urged U.N. member states to consider re-electing Costa Rica to the council during his General Assembly address in September.

“This doesn’t mean that Costa Rica will not continue fighting for its principles and values and positions when it comes to human rights. We will continue to be observers of the council and from this point of view, it’s true we don’t have a vote but we do have a voice,” said Foreign Minister Manuel González on Tuesday during a press conference at Casa Presidencial.

González said that Costa Rica was late in starting its re-election campaign toward the end of 2013, during President Laura Chinchilla’s administration (2010-2014), but added that he was pleased with the efforts of the Foreign Ministry and its missions in New York and Geneva.

Costa Rica has held a place on the Human Rights Council and its predecesor, the Human Rights Commission, nine times, the minister said.

Chile and Peru also will leave the council at the end of the year, but they were not running for re-election. Member states sit on the council for three -year terms and are not elegible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.

During the same press conference, González addressed a call from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other member states of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, or ALBA, for an emergency meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), of which Costa Rica is presidente pro tempore, to promote regional efforts against the Ebola virus, during a summit in Havana on Monday.

González said that Costa Rica has not yet received a formal request for such a meeting. The foreign minister stressed that CELAC, a loose collection of Western Hemisphere nations excluding the United States and Canada, could only issue a political statement, and that the mechanism did not have the authority to mobilize member states’ health or securities forces in response to the virus’ outbreak.

Costa Rica is not one of the nine countries that make up ALBA.

Trending Now

Honduras Seizes $2 Million, Gold-Plated Pistols in Drug Raid

Honduran authorities struck a blow against drug cartels, seizing over $2 million in cash, war rifles, and flashy gold-plated pistols in Copán, a northwest...

Costa Rica and Panama Seek Gold Cup Glory Against North American Giants

With no Caribbean teams advancing, a Central American contingent made up of Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala heads into the quarterfinals of the...

Costa Rica Green Hotels Lead Global Sustainable Tourism

Costa Rica’s reputation as a leader in sustainable tourism grows stronger every year, with our green hotels setting a high bar for eco-conscious hospitality...

Hondurans March to Mark 2009 Coup as Election Battle Heats Up

Thousands of government supporters marched Saturday in the capital of Honduras to commemorate the anniversary of the 2009 coup that ousted then-leftist President Manuel...

Costa Rica’s Piangua Mollusk Threatened by Pineapple Farm Runoff

Costa Rica’s Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, a 33,000-hectare haven of mangroves and rivers, is under siege from an unlikely source: pineapple farms. A study by...

Costa Rica Joins U.S. Global Entry, Easing Travel for Tourists

Costa Rica took a big step forward, by officially joining the U.S. Global Entry program, a move set to make travel smoother for Costa...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica