Ethiopia has been elected, by consensus, as Vice-President and Bureau Member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) during the Council’s Organizational Meeting held in early December in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ethiopia will serve in this leadership role for one year beginning January 1, 2026, on behalf of the African Group. Following Ethiopia’s election, Ambassador Tsegab Kebebew, Permanent Representative of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the United Nations in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, will be serving as Vice-President and Bureau Member of the HRC.
The Human Rights Council bureau consists of five officers, a President and four Vice-Presidents, each representing one of the five UN regional groups i.e. African States, Asia-Pacific States, Eastern European States, Western European and Other States and Latin American and Caribbean States.
The Bureau is mainly responsible for procedural and organizational matters, including overseeing the Council meetings and handling correspondence with states. Bureau members play a central role in guiding the Council’s work, facilitating its meetings, fostering constructive dialogue among Member States, and ensuring the smooth and effective management of the Council’s agenda throughout the year. The four Vice-Presidents of the bureau take turns chairing meetings in support of the President and advice on candidates for investigative fact-finding missions. They also receive and respond to correspondence from Permanent Missions.
Ethiopia’s election reflects its constructive engagement within the United Nations system and its commitment to collaborative, principled approaches to global human rights issues. Ethiopia looks forward to working closely with all regional groups, Member States, and partners to advance the Council’s mandate and strengthen international cooperation in the promotion and protection of human rights. It is to be recalled that Ethiopia had served as Vice President and Bureau member of the Council in 2016 representing the African Group of States.