UNO - Current Affairs for October, 2017

United Nation Day, above and beyond, is celebrated to remember the organisation of the United Nations and its agenda of promoting human rights, diversity and progress across the world. Basically, it is the United Nation's birthday, but there is more to it. Exactly 72 years ago from today, in 1945, the United Nation officially came into being. The majority of its signatories came together to sign the founding document, and the UN Charter was started up with the promise to be "devoted to making known to the people of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations and to gain their support for" its work,". However, October 24 started being celebrated as United Nations Day in 1948. Since 1971, after the United Nations General Assembly's recommendation, the day was registered by Member States as a public holiday.

Pakistan was elected as a member state of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council by the body’s General Assembly in Oct 2017, securing more than two-thirds of the vote. Other countries elected by the UN General Assembly include Australia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Qatar, Congo, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, Chile, Mexico and Peru. They will serve on the 47-member council from January 2018 through the end of 2020. The Democratic Republic of Congo was elected to the UN Human Rights Council despite opposition from the United States and a leading rights group. Kinshasa now finds itself in the rare position of sitting on the Geneva-based council while the body investigates allegations of killings, torture, rape and the use of child soldiers in the Kasai region of the DR Congo. Australia and Human Rights Australia will push for tougher scrutiny of countries with appalling human rights records after securing a coveted seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council. Australia was among 15 countries elected to the council for a three-year term despite the UN previously criticising the government for its record on the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in detention and Indigenous people. The UNHCR has previously critiqued Australia for it’s treatments of asylum seekers in detention on Manus Island. Britain and the United States criticised the appointment of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was elected uncontested to the 47-member council. The DRC-beset by renewed political and militia violence since President Joseph Kabila refused to step down in December-won 151 votes from the 193-member General Assembly in New York.