Context
Recently, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution, calling for Russia to be suspended from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
- India abstained for reasons of “substance and process”. The Indian representative said that If India has chosen any side, it is the side of peace. And it is for an immediate end to violence,”.
How is a country removed from the UNHRC?
- As per the rules, the UNGA can suspend the rights and privileges of any Council member that it decides has persistently committed gross and systematic violations of human rights during its term of membership.
- To suspend a member, one needs a two-thirds majority vote by the General Assembly.
Russia suspension from UNHRC
- Russia’s three-year term as member of the Council began on January 1, 2021.
- With membership on the Council comes a responsibility to uphold high human rights standards.
- It is this responsibility that Russia is alleged to have wilfully violated in Ukraine.
Why was Russia suspended?
- The resolution to suspend Russia was first moved by the United States over Moscow's military aggression in the east European nation.
- The resolution titled ‘Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council’.
- It expressed 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.
- The US Ambassador launched the campaign to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos showing streets in the town of Bucha on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, strewn with the bodies of civilians after Russian soldiers retreated.
- The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied its troops were responsible.
Voting on the UNGA Resolution
- Voting in Favour: The UNGA resolution on suspending Russia from UNHRC received a two-thirds majority of those voting, in the 193-member Assembly, with 93 nations voting in favour.
- Ukraine, the U.S., the EU, and several Latin American countries voted in favour of the UNGA Resolution.
- Votes against UNGA Resolution: 24 member countries voted against the UNGA resolution on terminating Russia from UNHRC.
- Russia, China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Syria, and Vietnam, were among those who voted against it.
- Abstention from Voting: Fifty-eight abstained from the UNGA voting on suspending Russia from UNHRC.
- Those abstaining, included India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia.
About UN Human Rights Council
- The UNHRC is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system, which is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world.
- It addresses and makes recommendations on situations of human rights violations, and can discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations.
- The UNHRC replaced the former UN Commission on Human Rights.
- It was created by the UNGA on March 15, 2006, and the body met in its first session from June 19-30, 2006.
Membership
- The Council has a five-person Bureau, consisting of a president and four vice-presidents, each representing one of the five regional groups.
- They serve for a year each, in accordance with the Council’s annual cycle.
- The Human Rights Council President of the 16th Cycle (2022) is Federico Villegas, who is the Permanent Representative of Argentina to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva.
- He was elected president of the Human Rights Council for 2022 in December 2021.
