Mauritius, Nigeria retain UN rights committee seat

Mauritius and Nigeria have retained their seats to serve for another four years in the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) from 2023 to 2026.

The candidates from the two countries were re-elected to occupy the two remaining vacant positions for Africa in CESCR, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

CESCR is the body of 18 independent experts that monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Egypt and Morocco were elected to occupy two seats of the four seats for the African group in 2021, and Egypt currently chairs the committee as a member of the group.

On Wednesday, the remaining two were contested at UN headquarters by Nigeria, Cameroon, Malawi, and Mauritius.

Nigeria won at the first ballot scoring 39 out of the 54 ballots of member states.

Malawi lost out. Mauritius and Cameroon competed for the remaining one seat because they were both even on votes.

Mauritius clinched the second seat knocking out Cameroon. So, Nigeria and Mauritius retained their two seats.