Sri Lanka, under fire for its human rights record, was Wednesday denied a seat on the UN Human Rights Council while France and Britain edged out Spain to win re-election in a closely-watched contest in the UN General Assembly. Nineteen countries were vying for 15 coveted seats on the Geneva-based body, with the focus on the contests in the Asian and West European groups.
Candidate countries needed an absolute majority - or 97 votes from the UN's 192 nations - to be elected. Members serve three-year terms and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms. In Wednesday's election in the 192-member General Assembly, Sri Lanka, Spain, Serbia and East Timor failed to gain seat on the 47-member rights body.