The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday voted to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council.
The draft resolution, titled “Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council”, received 93 votes in favour, 24 votes against and 58 abstentions.
India abstained in the UN General Assembly on a vote moved by the US to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers killed civilians while retreating from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
Since January this year, India has abstained on eight occasions on procedural votes and draft resolutions in the UN Security Council, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council that deplored Russian aggression against Ukraine.
New Delhi had on Tuesday unequivocally condemned the “deeply disturbing” reports of civilian killings in the Ukrainian city of Bucha and supported the call for an independent investigation, as it underlined that when innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option.
“The situation in Ukraine has not shown any significant improvement since the Council last discussed the issue. The security situation has only deteriorated, as well as its humanitarian consequences,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told a meeting on Ukraine in the UN Security Council Tuesday that was addressed for the first time by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Assembly voted on the draft resolution that “decides to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation.” Russia’s current membership on the Council ends in December 2023.
The draft resolution titled ‘Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council’ notes the Human Rights Council resolution of March 4, 2022, in particular its grave concern regarding reports of “gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights” and “violations of international humanitarian law” committed by Russia during its aggression against Ukraine.
US Ambassador at UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield had told reporters in Bucharest, Romania this week that Washington, in close coordination with Ukraine, European countries and other partners at the UN, was going to seek Russia’s suspension from the UN Human Rights Council.
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“Russia should not have a position of authority in that body, nor should we allow Russia to use their role on the Council as a tool of propaganda to suggest they have a legitimate concern about human rights…Russia’s participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce. It hurts the credibility of the Council and the UN writ large. And it is simply wrong. Which is why we believe it is time for the UN General Assembly to suspend them.”
“We have collectively sent a clear message that Russia will be held accountable” Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield wrote in a social media post after the vote.
