For the first time since United Nations Human Rights Council, UNHRC, inception in 2006, Russia has lost an election to the UN Human Rights Council after being narrowly beaten by Croatia in a vote. Saudi Arabia was successfully re-elected, despite criticism from human rights organizations. The 47 places on the council are distributed on a regional basis, with staggered ballots seeing a third of the body re-elected each year. <br/><br/>Russia had finished its three-year term and was running against Hungary and Croatia for the two available seats from Eastern Europe. With Hungary far ahead, Croatia received the votes of 114 of the 193 member countries, and Russia was selected on 112 ballots. Saudi Arabia sailed through the Asian ballot with 152 votes, and will represent the region on the UNHRC alongside China, Japan and Iraq for the next three years.<br/><br/>South Africa, Rwanda, Egypt and Tunisia were chosen from the African group, Cuba and Brazil from Latin America and the Caribbean, and the US and the UK will represent the Western bloc, which comprises Western Europe and North America.<br/><br/>Over the next term, which will last between 2017 and 2019, the 14 chosen members will be tasked with formulating the UN's official position on conflicts occurring around the world, as well as the domestic policies of member states.