The UN Human Rights Council consists of 47 member states that serve three-year terms. They are elected to their seats by a vote in the General Assembly. Unlike most General Assembly votes, this one is done by secret ballot. On October 9, the UN General Assembly considered 19 candidates for 18 open seats on the Human Rights Council. The loser? Saudi Arabia. (Phew.)

In this week’s episode of To Save Us From Hell, we take a deep dive into the UN Human Rights Council — how it works, some of its big accomplishments, some of its deficiencies, and why countries with questionable human rights records are sometimes elected to it. (Though not Saudi Arabia, this time around.) Co-host Anjali Dayal and I then make our 2024 Nobel Peace Prize predictions!

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Saudi Snubbed in Human Rights Council Elections | Our Nobel Peace Prize Predictions