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Ukraine War gets Russia out of UNHRC. What happens now?

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Mohammad Bilal
Mohammad BilalApr 08, 2022 | 13:32

Ukraine War gets Russia out of UNHRC. What happens now?

In a bid to further isolate Russia at the global stage over the invasion of Ukraine, the UNHRC on Thursday suspended the nation from its membership.

The United Nations' General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday suspended Russia from the 47-member United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on account of gross human rights violations committed by the Russian forces in Ukraine.

The council decided to take the step after brutal killings of Ukranian civillians by the Russian forces in the city of Bucha. The bodies of more than 300 civilians were found from the Kyiv suburb.

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The voting at the UN assembly got 93 votes in favour of Russia's suspension, while 24 countries including China voted against it. 58 countries, including India and Afghanistan, abstained from the voting.

On March 2, UNGA had adopted a resolution demanding that Russia unconditionally withdraws all its forces from Ukraine. The resolution got 141 countries voting for the resolution.

WHAT RUSSIA AND UKRAINE SAY ON THE SUSPENSION

Russia’s deputy UN Ambassador, Gennady Kuzmin, called it an "illegitimate and politically-motivated step” and later announced that Russia has decided to quit the Human Rights Council altogether.

To this, Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said, "You do not submit your resignation after your have been fired,” Reuters reported.

Russia was in the second year of a three-year term at the UNHRC. According to the resolution on April 7, the General Assembly could have also agreed to end the suspension. But, since Russia has decided to quit the council, that option is no longer feasible.

WHAT IS UNHRC AND ITS ROLE?

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UN Assembly. Photo: AP

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The UNHRC is an inter-governmental body responsible for protecting human rights, and it makes recommendations on situations of human rights violations around the world.

The council was established by the UN General Assembly on March 15, 2006 to replace the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

The council has a five-member bureau with one 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 current president of UNHRC is Federio Villegas. He is the permanent representative of Argentina to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva. He was elected president of the Human Rights Council for 2022 in December 2021.

The council holds three to four sessions in a year. If a member state requests, the council can decide at any time to hold a special session to address human rights violations and emergencies.

HOW THE SUSPENSION AFFECTS RUSSIA

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Vladimir Putin. Photo: AP

The suspension of Russia from UNHRC is symbolic in nature. It signals that the West, along with several of its allies, are against Russia’s war in Ukraine. The move also helps the US in isolating Russia on the global stage.

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The European Union (EU) said it has approved an embargo on the Russian coal and the closing of the bloc’s ports to the Russian vessels.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME A COUNTRY WAS SUSPENDED FROM UNHRC?

Russia isn’t the first country that has been suspended from the 47-member UNHRC. In 2011, Libya was suspended after severe government crackdowns on the protests against the Muammar Gaddafi-led government in Libya.

Last updated: April 08, 2022 | 13:32
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