UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) -- Saudi Arabia was thwarted Wednesday in its bid to join the UN’s human rights council, which is charged with protecting freedoms globally, after coming sixth in a vote of UN members for one of five regional seats.

Ethiopia and Qatar were among the 18 countries elected to the UN Human Rights Council for three-year terms, despite campaign groups previously alleging rights violations in both countries.

“This vote to deny Saudi Arabia a seat on the UN Human Rights Council matters. For far too long, (Crown Prince) Mohammed bin Salman’s regime has acted as if it has complete impunity to commit grave human rights abuses, safe in the knowledge that its international partners would look the other way,” said campaign group Reprieve.

International Service for Human Rights program director Tess McEvoy said that “when given a real choice, states voted down the less deserving candidate, refusing to hand powerful actors who violate basic rights an enhanced ability to bend key human rights processes in their favor.”

The five vacant seats in the Asia-Pacific region went to Cyprus, the Marshall Islands, Qatar, Korea and Thailand.

There were only five candidates for the five vacant seats for the African region meaning that Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia and Kenya will all take up positions