Russia Suspended from UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)

Russia Suspended from UNHRC- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: International Relations- Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.
- Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

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”. 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,”.

Proposal: The UNGA resolution, ‘Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council’, was proposed by a group of countries that included Ukraine, the U.S., the EU, and several Latin American countries.
Requirement for Adoption: UNGA Resolution on suspending Russia required a two-thirds majority of those present and voting for adoption.
- Abstentions do not count in the tally of those ‘present and voting’.

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.

This was the third abstention of India in the UNHRC on Russia-Ukraine War. All three are mentioned below-

First: India abstained from voting that was about the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry on Russia’s human rights violation in Ukraine.
Second: India again abstained from UNHRC voting to look into violations of human rights and international law in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Third: India abstained from the recent UNGA Resolution on suspending Russia from UNHRC.

shivam