Morocco won a vote on Wednesday to lead the United Nations Human Rights Council in a secret ballot in Geneva.
The Moroccan candidate, Ambassador Omar Zniber, received 30 votes, and his South African opponent, Ambassador Mxolisi Nkosi, secured 17.
It was Africa's turn to take the presidency of the UN's top rights body but African nations could not agree on a single candidate.
Zniber told the Council after being elected that he now had a duty to work to “meet the requirements of our common work" which are "so important and so fundamental: the promotion of, respect toward and guarantee of human rights as universally recognized.”
The foreign ministry in Rabat said Zniber's successful candidacy came "despite the mobilization of Algeria and South Africa to counter it".
The North African Kingdom said it "sees a strong signal sent by the international community in favor of its constructive approach, and its unifying leadership on key subjects such as inter-religious dialogue, tolerance and the fight against racial hatred, the right to a healthy and sustainable environment, migrants' rights and the impact of new technologies".
“Morocco’s election, for the first time in its history, to the presidency of this prestigious UN body, constitutes an acknowledgment by the international community of the far-sighted vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in protecting and promoting human rights,” added the ministry.
This choice, enshrined in the 2011 Constitution, results in a continuous momentum of reforms aimed, in particular, at consolidating democracy, gender equality, social and territorial justice, the effectiveness of human rights, inclusive participation, and youth empowerment, stressed the statement.
"The Kingdom's election, supported by a large number of countries around the globe in spite of Algeria's and South Africa's efforts to counter it, demonstrates the trust and the credibility inspired by Morocco's external actions."
“During its presidency, the Kingdom will remain faithful to the line it has set itself during its three mandates within the Human Rights Council, always favoring dialogue and consensus,” pointed out the statement.
Zniber is Morocco's permanent representative at the UN in Geneva and has previously served as the ambassador of Morocco to several European countries.
