Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a press release on Monday that Burundi is set to win re-election to the UN Human Rights Council in a vote on October 13, 2026, with no competition.

Addressing the effects of the lack of competition on the council’s initiatives to improve human rights conditions worldwide, Louis Charbonneau, UN Director at Human Rights Watch stated:

This uncompetitive vote makes a mockery of the word ‘election’… UN member states should insist on competitive slates so they can reject candidates with poor human rights records. No one should have a seat on this crucial body handed to them on a silver platter.

Burundi is seeking to retain its seat even though the Central African country’s government has not improved its abusive human rights conditions and faces serious ongoing human rights concerns, according to the press release.

Burundi is one of four African countries running for four seats on the 47-nation council. According to the press release, the regional slates for the Western European, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe, and Asia groups also lack competition.

Effectively, all 15 candidates running with no competition are guaranteed spots on the UN’s premier human rights body for three years beginning on January 1, 2027, regardless of whether they are fit or unfit for office.

Despite some positive government statements, HRW has noted that Burundi has not carried out meaningful reform to address longstanding concerns related to governance, justice, or accountability.

In addition, the UN Refugee Agency has reported that more than 84,000 people fleeing escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo have crossed into Burundi since early December 2025, an influx the agency says has overwhelmed local resources. 

The UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251 adopted in March 2006 replaced the discredited Commission on Human Rights. It decides that the Council shall consist of forty-seven Member States, which shall be elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the members of the General Assembly (97 votes with zero abstentions).

It encourages that members elected to the Council shall uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights, urges member states to take into account the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of human rights, and encourages member states to fully cooperate with the Council and have their performance reviewed against expectations under the universal periodic review mechanism during their term of membership.

However, UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251 is not legally binding on UN member states, and it does not legally force regional groups to field more candidates than open seats. Under the United Nations Charter, resolutions passed by the UN General Assembly are considered recommendations and carry political or moral weight rather than legally binding force.

The Council’s Membership is based on equitable geographical distribution. African States have 13 seats, Asia-Pacific States have 13 seats, Latin American and Caribbean States have eight seats, Western European and other States have seven seats; and Eastern European States have six seats.