Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, New York, September 23, 2026.
(New York) – Burundi is set to win re-election to the United Nations Human Rights Council in a vote on October 13, 2026, with no competition, Human Rights Watch said today. Burundi is seeking to retain its seat even though the government of this Central African country has not improved its abusive human rights conditions.
Burundi is one of the four African countries running for the same number of seats on the 47-nation council. The regional slates for the Western group, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe, and Asia also lack competition. This effectively guarantees all 15 candidates, fit or unfit, spots on the UN’s premier rights body for three years beginning on January 1, 2027.
“This uncompetitive vote makes a mockery of the word ‘election,’” said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch. “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.”
Ghana, Nigeria, and Zambia are candidates for Africa’s other three available seats. In Asia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, and Nepal are running for the region’s four seats. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay are set to take the region’s three spots. For the Western group, Germany and Ireland are on track to get the group’s two available seats, while Moldova and Ukraine will take Central and Eastern Europe’s two spots.
Despite some positive government statements, Burundi has not carried out meaningful reform to address longstanding concerns related to governance, justice, or accountability. Grave abuses persist with impunity, including extrajud
