India elected to three bodies of the UN ECOSOC

India was recently elected to the three bodies of the United Nations. They were the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, Executive Board of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and the Executive Board of World Food Programme. All these three bodies operate under United Nations Economic and Social Council.

India was elected to all these three bodies by acclamation. Acclamation is honouring someone. Electing a member country through acclamation does not use a ballot. However, other member countries were elected through secret ballot to these bodies.

India’s term to these bodies begins on January 1, 2022.

What is Election by Acclamation in the United Nations?

When a member with clean slate is presented for an election in the United Nations, the vote takes place through acclamation. Clean Slate means there is no history of evidence of any problems or broken rules. The Secret ballot shall be dispensed when election by acclamation takes place in the United Nations. Election by Acclamation is not allowed in all UN bodies.  Election by Acclamation is completely excluded in some of the UN bodies such as the Human Rights Council.

Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

The other countries that were elected to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice through secret ballot were Cuba, Chile, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Brazil. Countries such as Bahrain, Austria, Bulgaria, Belarus, France, Canada, Libya, Ghana, Qatar, Pakistan, Togo and Thailand were elected by acclamation.

Executive Board of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

The countries that were elected to this board through acclamation were Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Thailand, South Africa, Poland, Monaco, Kenya, Guyana, Gambia, Egypt, Colombia, Camroon, Bangladesh, Australia, Dominican Republic and Afghanistan.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2021