United Nations: India on Wednesday elected to the newly established United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) getting 173 out of 191 votes at the UN general assembly.
The country secured the maximum number of votes among Asian nations.
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, China, South Korea and Indonesia were the other Asian nations elected to the human rights body.
India was followed by Indonesia, which got 165 votes, and Bangladesh, with 160 votes. Japan secured 158 votes, while China had 158 votes.
Pakistan, with 149 votes, secured the sixth position among Asian nations.
Minimum of 96 votes were required by a member to be elected to the body.
The United Nations Human Rights Council was set up in March to replace the United Nations Human Rights Commission, based at Geneva.
Hailing the outcome, the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) to the United Nations says, ''India attaches great importance to the newly established Human Rights Council and it will work to make the council a strong, effective and efficient body capable of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.''
''As a committed supporter of the UN human rights system, India will continue to participate actively in the deliberations on human rights in international fora and in the development of widely accepted norms,'' the Mission said in a release.
The US, an outspoken critic of the old human rights commission, voted against creating the council, arguing barriers were still too low to keep rights abusers from winning a seat.
It then decided against seeking a seat this year. Despite the negative vote, US envoy to the UN John Bolton pledged that his country would cooperate with other member nations to make the council as effective as possible.
The members are given terms of one, two or three years, as determined by the drawing of lots, so that from the fourth year, one-third of the council members will be elected each subsequent year.
In the draw of lots, India's term is one year. ''But this year is crucial as during it a new human rights machinery would be shaped,'' the Indian Mission added.
Council members are limited to serving two consecutive terms.
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