An Egyptian diplomat has been elected to the UN Human Rights Committee, the foreign ministry announced on Friday.

Wafaa Bassim will serve a four-year term starting in 2021 after she secured one of nine vacant posts on the committee.

Bassim was among 15 candidates representing various countries and territories competing for a place on the committee. Two rounds of voting took place on 17 September, leading to her win.

She will be among 18 independent experts in the UN-body overseeing the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Egypt's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Mohamed Idris said Bassim’s win proves once again the respect of the international community for Egypt and its stature, and an appreciation for its distinct capacity through its cadres capable of positive contribution to bolstering and the upholding human rights at the international level.

Idris praised Bassim’s diplomatic experience; she previously served as Egypt’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, among other posts.

The win by Bassim comes a few days after Egypt’s candidate Mohamed Ezzeldin was re-elected to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights after securing the majority of votes from the committee members.

Ezzeldin secured 49 out of a total of 54 votes in elections held on 14 September.

However, Egypt’s nominee for the post of World Trade Organization (WTO) head, Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh, told Reuters on Thursday that he was out of the race for the position.