Russia has failed in its bid to return to the United Nations top human rights body 18 months after it was suspended in the wake of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In a secret ballot of the General Assembly’s 193 members, Bulgaria emerged with 160 votes and Albania 123, giving each country a three-year term on the Human Rights Council starting from January 1.
“UN member states sent a strong signal to Russia’s leadership that a government responsible for countless war crimes and crimes against humanity doesn’t belong there,” said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch.
Russia was removed from the council in April 2022 in a diplomatic push led by the United States. The election for the coming term had been viewed as a test of Moscow’s diplomatic support amid fierce Western-led criticism over its brutal assault on its neighbour.
Speaking ahead of the vote, Albanian Ambassador Ferit Hoxha said the UN General Assembly faced “an important choice” to “demonstrate that it is not ready to take an arsonist for a firefighter”.
The UN vote took place just days after a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian village of Hroza killed more than 50 people.
“Russia can still boast that it got support from nearly half the UN’s members today,” noted Richard Gowan of the non-profit Crisis Group.
“This does offer some support to Russia’s claim that its diplomatic isolation is gradually decreasing as many states are tiring of arguments over Ukraine.”
He added, “Ukraine’s friends are still the most powerful force in the General Assembly”.
UN-mandated investigative body in March this year accused Russia of a wide range of war crimes in Ukraine such as unlawful killings, torture and the deportation of children.
The International Criminal Court has also issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, over the alleged illegal deportation of hundreds of Ukrainian children, a war crime. The Kremlin has rejected the accusations and the court’s jurisdiction.
China was also among the winners of Tuesday’s vote, even after more than 80 non-profit groups called on states to oppose Beijing’s re-election given its record on human rights.
