New York: A Republic of Korean scholar was reelected Monday as a member of the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) for the third consecutive time, according to Seoul’s permanent mission to the U.N.
According to Lao News Agency, Chung Chin-sung, professor emeritus in the Department of Sociology at Seoul National University, was elected for the 2026-2030 period with support from 147 of the 176 countries that participated in the vote held at U.N. headquarters in New York. Chung was previously elected as a CERD member in 2017 and 2021.
The CERD is a body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by its state parties. It comprises 18 independent experts recognized in the field of human rights. Members are elected with consideration given to equitable geographical distribution, relevant legal experience, balanced gender representation, and other factors.
Chung has been actively engaged in various U.N. positions, including serving as a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council Advisory Committee and the U.N. Working Group on Communications.