Saudi Arabia narrowly failed on Wednesday to win a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, a blow to Riyadh's efforts to boost the country's rights reputation abroad and four years after it was rejected in a 2020 bid to join the 47-member body.

Saudi Arabia was defeated for a seat in the U.N.’s premier human rights body Wednesday after a campaign by rights groups urging the world body’s members to reject its bid.

United Nations members rejected Saudi Arabia’s bid to join the organization’s Human Rights Council amid opposition from activists who say the Gulf nation remains among the worst human rights offenders globally.

Out of the 18 countries elected, Qatar is the only Arab state in the council. The United Nations General Assembly has elected Qatar to the UN Human Rights Council,

GENEVA: Saudi Arabia was thwarted Wednesday (Oct 9) in its bid to join the UN's human rights council, which is charged with protecting freedoms globally, after coming sixth in a vote of UN members for one of five regional seats.

MPs pile pressure on Labour to oppose Saudi bid to join UN’s Human Rights Council - Exclusive: Labour under pressure to take a stand against human rights abuses

Losing a seat at the UN Human Rights Council for the second consecutive election shows Riyadh's failure to improve tainted human rights image, say groups

Thailand has succeeded in its bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, for a three-year term starting on Jan 1, 2025.

On September 27, Kenya officially submitted its application for a seat in a vote set for late Wednesday, Nairobi time, in New York.

Following a vote by the General Assembly, Saudi Arabia suffered a major diplomatic blow on Wednesday when it became the only competing member-state to fail to secure a seat on the UN’s top human rights committee.