Wednesday, May 10 2006 11:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: After being elected to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, India has pledged to make the newly established forum a 'strong, effective and efficient' body capable of protecting fundamental freedoms across the world.

Commenting on India's election to the 47-member Council with the backing of more than 90 per cent of the 191 members of the General Assembly yesterday, a beaming Indian Ambassador Nirupam Sen said New Delhi would continue to actively work for the development of widely accepted international norms.

"It is precisely the straddling of all divides, this pluralism, this integrated approach to human rights and our articulation of the concerns of Non-Aligned and G-77 countries that got us their solidarity and support. This is responsible for our getting the highest number of votes among the contested seats," he added.

India will work to make the UN Human Rights Council a "Strong, effective and efficient" body capable of protesting fundamental freedoms across the globe," he said.

India got 173 of the 191 votes and only some African countries got more votes but then Africans ran as slate and there was no contest in their group.

Asked by reporters how he managed to pull the act, Sen replied in a lighter vein, "It is poetic justice that the largest democracy should have the largest pool of votes."

"Apart from our ability to mobilise far more than three fourths, not to speak of two thirds, of the UN membership, it is worth noting that India, Brazil and Germany topped their respective regional lists," he said.