UNITED NATIONS, May 9 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday that the election of members of the new Human Rights Council offered a great opportunity to make a fresh start in the UN's vital work of upholding the highest standards of human rights.

    In a statement issued after the election, Annan said he is satisfied with the high rate of participation in the election and welcomes the first elected members states to sit on the Council.

    "This demonstrates a widely shared commitment to replace the previous Commission on Human Rights with a body that can work more effectively, and can embody human rights ideals with more credibility," he said.

    He said the new Council, which will start work on June 19, is required to conduct a regular review of the human rights record of all countries, beginning with its own members. "This will give its members the chance to show the depth of their commitment to promote human rights both at home and abroad," he said.

    The UN chief wishes the new members well as they begin their work to fulfill mankind's age-old aspiration to live in a world where every human right is fully enjoyed by every human being.

    After three rounds of voting, the UN General Assembly Tuesday elected the 47 members of the newly established Human Rights Council to replace the much criticized and now defunct Human Rights Commission.

    After the first round of ballot Tuesday morning, all regional groups -- Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe and other developed nations -- filled their allocated number of members, except Eastern Europe, where only Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic won seats with the other three remaining vacant.

    Two more rounds of voting were held in the afternoon, selecting Azerbaijan, Romania and Ukraine.

    Election is by secret ballot and candidates must win the votes of at least 96 nations, an absolute majority of the UN General Assembly's 191 members, to be elected.

    Governments must undergo regular reviews of their domestic rights records while on the council.

    The United States voted against creating the council, arguing barriers were still too low to keep rights abusers from winning a seat. It then decided against seeking a seat this year. Enditem