Ambassador Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro was confirmed after being nominated as the sole candidate of the Asia-Pacific group, whose turn it was to propose a President under Council rules. The 47-member body is based in Geneva, with the presidency rotating annually among regional groups.
The Asia-Pacific bloc includes countries such as China, Japan and South Korea. With no opposing nominations, Ambassador Suryodipuro will preside over the Council’s work for a one-year term.
He succeeds Switzerland’s Ambassador Jurg Lauber and will chair the Council’s three regular sessions scheduled for late February, June and September. He will also oversee the Universal Periodic Review process, which assesses the human rights records of all UN Member States.
Addressing delegates after his confirmation on Thursday, Ambassador Suryodipuro noted that Indonesia has been a consistent supporter of the Human Rights Council since its establishment 20 years ago, as well as of its predecessor, the UN Human Rights Commission.
He said Indonesia’s decision to take on the presidency was grounded in its 1945 Constitution and aligned with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including the commitment to contribute to global peace based on independence, peace and social justice.
At the same meeting, Council members also agreed to the appointment of Ecuador’s Ambassador Marcelo Vázquez Bermúdez as Vice President for 2026. Although he was the sole candidate from the Latin American and Caribbean group, Bolivia and Cuba did not endorse his appointment, with Cuba formally disassociating itself from the decision.
Speaking during the organisational meeting, Colombia’s representative María Juliana Tenorio Quintero warned that the Council was operating against the backdrop of a deep-seated global crisis marked by rising geopolitical tensions.
She cautioned against the growing use of threats and force in international relations and urged Member States to uphold international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international law as a whole.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
