The United Nations General Assembly voted on Thursday to exclude Russia from the world body’s leading human rights body. Thus, citing claims that Russian soldiers in Ukraine committed human rights breaches that the US and Ukraine labeled “war crimes.”
It was a rare, if not unprecedented, rebuke to one of the UN Security Council’s five veto-wielding members.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the vote “a historic moment. Thereby, telling the assembly: “We have collectively sent a strong message that the suffering of victims and survivors will not be ignored” and that Russia must be held accountable “for this unprovoked, unjust, unconscionable war.”
Following footage and images showing streets in the village of Bucha, on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, strewn with the bodies of residents as the Russian military retreated, Thomas-Greenfield initiated a campaign to expel Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council. The deaths have generated international outrage and calls for tougher penalties against Russia. Russia has categorically denied that its troops were responsible.
The decision, according to US President Joe Biden, illustrated how Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war has “made Russia an international pariah”. He then promised to keep working with other countries to gather information to hold Russia accountable. It will raise economic pressure on it, and also isolate it on the international stage.
Russia is only the second country to have its rights to membership in the UN Human Rights Council revoked. The assembly suspended the other, Libya, in 2011 when instability in the North African country toppled longstanding leader Moammar Gadhafi.
The Human Rights Council, situated in Geneva, is responsible for highlighting and approving investigations into human rights breaches. It also conducts periodic reviews of the human rights situation in all 193 U.N. member countries.
Observer status of Russia
For crises in Ukraine, Syria, the Palestinian territories, and elsewhere, it has established commissions of investigation. It gives the highest level of scrutiny to human rights violations and atrocities. It has also established fact-finding missions in Libya, Myanmar, and Venezuela, among other locations.
The vote on the US-sponsored resolution suspending Russia was 93-24, with 58 abstentions, notably lower than the votes on two resolutions the assembly passed last month calling for an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, the departure of all Russian forces, and civilian protection. At least 140 countries voted in favor of both resolutions.
Russia’s deputy ambassador, Gennady Kuzmin, indicated that Russia had already withdrawn from the council before the assembly took action. Thereby, presumably anticipating the outcome. Russia avoided losing its observer status at the UN Human Rights Council by quitting, Rolando Gomez, a spokesman for the council, says.
Kuzmin said Russia considers the adoption of the resolution “an illegitimate and politically motivated step” by a group of countries with “short-term political and economic interests” that he accused of “blatant and massive violations of human rights.”
The 47-member Human Rights Council was established in 2006 to replace a commission that had become discredited due to the bad human rights records of some of its members. The new council quickly faced similar criticism, including allegations that human rights violators were seeking membership to protect themselves and their allies, as well as a concentration on Israel.
Along with Russia, four other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are now serving three-year terms on the Human Rights Council: the United Kingdom, China, France, and the United States, which rejoined this year. China, Eritrea, Venezuela, Sudan, Cuba, and Libya are among the other members whose human rights records have been questioned.
Horrific human rights violations
Nearly half of the United Nations’ 193 member nations voted in favor of the resolution. More than half voted against it, abstained, or did not vote at all.
Some countries justified their choice not to endorse the resolution by saying it was premature. Thus, citing ongoing investigations into whether or not war crimes had happened. It would jeopardize the Human Rights Council’s and UN’s reputation. Others claimed the resolution reflected American and European geopolitical ambitions, Western hypocrisy, and selective outrage about human rights, as described by opponents.
The International Criminal Court is investigating suspected war crimes in Ukraine. A Human Rights Council probe is happening by retired Norwegian judge Erik Mose. Mose previously served as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
Before the vote, Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya urged assembly members to prevent the Human Rights Council from “sinking” by suspending Russia. It claims the country had committed “horrific human rights violations and abuses that would be equated to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
“Russia’s actions are beyond the pale,” he said. “Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security.”
Russia claimed in a paper obtained by The Associated Press that the United States and other opponents want to maintain their grip over the world by continuing “the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights” in international relations.
Perverted logic of the aggressor
Kyslytsya responded to Russia’s complaints. Kyslytsya said: “We have heard, many times, the same perverted logic of the aggressor trying to present itself as the victim.”
On March 24, the General Assembly passed a resolution criticizing Russia for the humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine. It also urged an urgent cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians as well as their homes, schools, and hospitals.
The vote was nearly identical to that of the assembly’s March 2 resolution. It demanded an immediate Russian cease-fire, the departure of all Russian forces, and protection for all civilians. With 35 abstentions, the result was 141-5.
Both of those elections had significance as a reflection of global opinion, even if they were not legally obligatory.
The vote on Thursday and Russia’s resignation, on the other hand, have a direct impact on Moscow’s voice in a human rights council. It has increasingly become a forum for a worldwide standoff between Western democracies and autocratic regimes. There, China will lose a crucial ally.
Last month, China abstained in both assembly decisions but voted against Russia’s suspension from the Human Rights Council Body.