Kazakhstan became member of UN Human Rights Council

Kazakhstan has become a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the first time, Interfax-Kazakhstan reports citing the press-service of Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry. The elections of the new Council members for 2013-2015 were held during the 67th session of the UN General Assembly on November 12 in New York. The total of 18 new member-states were elected into the Council. Kazakhstan has been actively supporting the work of the UN Council and upholding the human rights mechanisms in terms of protection and observance of human rights and freedoms. Kazakhstan Foreign Minister is annually taking part in the work of the High Level Segment of UN Human Rights Council's sessions, the press-service writes. In February 2010 Kazakhstan successfully made its first report under the new Council's human rights mechanism, a Universal Periodical Outlook. The international human rights institution of the UN system was established on March 15, 2006 and replaced the Human Rights Commission. The Council has 47 member-states. Each member is elected for 3 years and none of them can hold the membership for two terms in a row. The membership in the Council is open for all UN member-countries.