Indian diplomat Vidisha Maitra elected to UN Advisory Committee

In a significant victory for India at the United Nations, Indian diplomat Vidisha Maitra was elected to the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly.

In the Group of Asia-Pacific States, Maitra, First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN, obtained 126 votes.

The 193-member General Assembly appoints members of the Advisory Committee. Members are selected on the basis of broad geographical representation, personal qualifications and experience.

Ms Maitra was one of two nominated candidates from the Group of Asia-Pacific States. In the group, Ali Mohammed Faeq Al-Dabag of Iraq drew 64 votes.

The Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, which deals with administrative and budgetary issues, recommended Ms Maitra to the Assembly for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2021.

The victory comes as India gets ready to sit in the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for a two-year term beginning January 2021.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said in a video message that Ms Maitra was elected on Friday to the UN ACABQ "in a strong display of support by UN member states". He expressed confidence that Ms Maitra "will bring an independent, objective and much-needed gender-balanced perspective to the functioning of ACABQ".