Dhaka elected UN CEDAW member

Secures highest votes

29 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Diplomatic Correspondent

Ismat Jahan

Bangladesh has been elected a member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) securing the highest votes in its elections held at the United Nations on Monday. Ismat Jahan, the Bangladesh candidate for the CEDAW election, bagged 153 votes in the 185-member treaty body. This is the highest number of votes secured by a candidate in the history of CEDAW elections, according to a message received in Dhaka yesterday. Ismat Jahan, a former permanent representative to the UN, is currently a Bangladeshi ambassador in Brussels. She will serve as a member of the committee for a four-year term (2011-2014). After the human rights commission, this is the most important human rights body and becoming its member is the significant diplomatic achievement for the country. Foreign Ministry officials said Bangladesh is currently elected member of 32 UN committees, commissions, bodies and caucuses and this is the highest in recorded history. The credentials of the candidate, Bangladesh 's commitment for women's empowerment, an effective and sustained election campaign and standing as an active, responsible and contributing member of the international community are among the factors for this impressive showing. Ismat Jahan is the highest-ranking woman diplomat of the country. A total of 21candidates contested for 12 seats in the elections. Yoko Hayashi of Japan secured the second highest place with 143 votes. The other 10 elected members of this committee are Turkey (132), Slovenia (130), Egypt (130), Switzerland (129) Paraguay (119), Croatia (118), Mauritius (114), Timor-Leste (113), Israel (103) and Algeria (96).