Jakarta, Jan. 11 -- The Republic of Indonesia was officially elected as president of the UN Human Rights Council for 2026 on Thursday (January 8), marking the first time for Jakarta to lead the world's principal defender of vulnerable people worldwide.

Ambassador Sidharto R. Suryodipuro, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva, will preside over the Council after his nomination as the sole candidate of the Asia-Pacific group-which includes China, Japan, and South Korea.

Suryodipuro's election as president marks two decades since the Council was founded in 2006.

The establishment of the Council was an important guide for its member states to fulfill their promise to promote ...