Nepal's candidate Bandana Rana has been elected as one of the 11 new members of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) at the election held at the meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women in New York, USA.

She was elected with the sixth highest votes (106 out of 189).

This is the first time that a Nepali national has been elected to the Committee.

The Government of Nepal had presented Rana's candidature in February 2016 for this election. She will be in the Committee for the term 2017-2020.

Following the election, Ambassador Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Leader of the Nepalese delegation to the meeting of the States Parties to the Convention, said that Rana's election has come as an acknowledgment by the world community of the genuine efforts Nepal has been making in implementing the Convention and its protocol despite all the hardships we have to endure, and also as a recognition of Nepal's ability to benefit the world community with our national experiences.

Congratulations to #IVLP alumna @bandanarana2014 — the 1st Nepali elected to the UN #CEDAW Committee. pic.twitter.com/nT8Z6Dm68w

— U.S. Embassy Nepal (@USEmbassyNepal) June 22, 2016

Rana said that she has been extremely happy with the election adding that she was grateful to Nepal Government and all States Parties and expressed the commitment that she would serve in the Committee to the best of her ability. She said Nepal has so much to share and benefit from.

The others elected included experts from Lithuania, France, China, Lebanon, Norway, the Philippines, Ghana, Nigeria and Mauritania. One more expert will be elected from Spain or The Bahamas in the second round of election.

The CEDAW is a body of 23 experts elected by the States Parties to the Convention from among their nationals of high moral standing and competence in the fields covered by the Convention.