United Nations, Nov 23 (IANS): In a two-way contest with China, India has been elected to the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit, an independent external oversight body mandated to conduct evaluations, inspections and investigations of UN system worldwide.

India won the Asia-Pacific region seat for the five year term beginning 1 January 2013, with a clear majority of 106 votes out of the 183 cast in the UN General Assembly Tuesday. India has served only once on the JIU, 35 years ago, from 1968 to 1977. China got only 77 votes.

A. Gopinathan, India's nominee for the JIU is currently India's Permanent Representative to the UN offices in Geneva. Earlier, he was India's Deputy Permanent Representative in New York from January 2002 to September 2005. He has also served as Joint Secretary (UN) from August 1997 to December 2001 at the Ministry of External Affairs.

The JIU is a standing subsidiary organ of the General Assembly with a mandate covering the United Nations, its separately administered Funds and Programmes, and the Specialised Agencies that have accepted its statute. It is composed of not more than eleven inspectors serving for a term of five years, renewable once.