India has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026–2028 term, marking the country’s seventh tenure on the Geneva-based rights body. The election results, announced on Tuesday, confirmed that India’s three-year term will begin on January 1, 2026.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, expressed gratitude to all delegations for their overwhelming support, emphasizing that the election underscores India’s unwavering commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms. He affirmed that India looks forward to advancing these objectives during its upcoming term.
The UN Human Rights Council is composed of 47 member states, elected by the UN General Assembly for three-year terms based on equitable geographic distribution. The seats are divided among regional groups: 13 for African States, 13 for Asia-Pacific States, 6 for Eastern European States, 8 for Latin American and Caribbean States, and 7 for Western European and other States.
India last served on the Council in 2024, following two consecutive terms, and took a mandatory one-year break before contesting again for the 2026–2028 term, as the rules prohibit three consecutive tenures. Since the UNHRC’s establishment in 2006, India has served six terms — 2006–2007, 2008–2010, 2012–2014, 2015–2017, 2019–2021, and 2022–2024 — with breaks in 2011, 2018, and 2025. Notably, in the first Council election in 2006, India received the highest number of votes, securing 173 out of 190.
Alongside India, Angola, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Iraq, Italy, Mauritius, Pakistan, Slovenia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam were also elected to the UNHRC for the 2026–2028 term, beginning on January 1, 2026.
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