A human rights official who served under the Aquino administration has been elected as United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council advisory committee vice-president at the UN Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Presidential Envoy for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Dr. Purificacion Valera-Quisumbing was elected as Vice-President of the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, UN’s expert think-tank body on human rights, this month.

“It is an honor for me to accept this important position. I feel it is fitting for the Philippines to be acknowledged as an advocate for human rights in the global arena. Tita Cory was a symbol of our national quest for justice and freedom, and we must remain true to her spirit and reverence for human rights,” Quisumbing said.

Quisumbing had been chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights, former President of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and Assistant Secretary for Human Rights under the administration of the late President Corazon Aquino.

Prior to the election of Quisumbing to the post, Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Erlinda Basilio served as vice president of the Human Rights Council representing the Asian Group of states from June 2008 to June 2009.

The UN Human Rights Council is responsible for making recommendations to the UN General Assembly whenever human rights are violated. Its Advisory Committee provides expertise and advice on thematic human rights issues.