Azerbaijan failed to win membership in the UN rights council

According to Reuters news agency, Russia, China, Cuba, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, identified by New York-based Human Rights Watch as unworthy of membership on the new U.N. body, were among those winning seats.

But two others on the group's list, Iran and Azerbaijan failed to win membership in the initial round of voting.

Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth said it was inevitable some rights foes would win seats but "the important step is that we have made real progress" over the discredited Human Rights Commission, shut down in March.

"It doesn't guarantee that the council will be a success, but it is a step in the right direction," Roth said.

The United States, an outspoken critic of the old human rights commission, voted against creating the council, arguing barriers were still too low to keep rights abusers from winning a seat. It then decided against seeking a seat this year.