In a crucial decision at the United Nations General Assembly, Russia's bid to rejoin the United Nations Human Rights Council faced defeat. In a secret ballot, the East European regional group assigned the available council seats to Bulgaria and Albania.

This ballot held a pivotal role in evaluating Moscow's claims of receiving support from developing nations, who may be wary of the significant financial aid provided by Western countries to Ukraine. This vote transpired amidst fierce Western-led criticism of Russia due to its aggressive actions in its neighboring nation.

Russia secured 83 votes, a substantial difference compared to Bulgaria's 160 and Albania's 123, culminating in the election of the latter two nations to the Human Rights Council.

"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 on the Human Rights Council," said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Albanian Ambassador Ferit Hoxha underscored the significance of the upcoming vote at the UN General Assembly. He articulated that the Assembly faced a crucial decision, where it needed to "demonstrate that it is not ready to take an arsonist for a firefighter."

In April 2022, just under two months following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the General Assembly took action to suspend Russia from the 47-member council due to "gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights" committed by Russian troops during the invasion. This resolution, initiated by the United States, gained approval with 93 votes in favor, 24 against, and 58 abstentions.

Speaking at the Security Council ahead of the vote, U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood expressed his strong concerns. He emphasized that re-electing Russia to the Human Rights Council, especially "while it openly continues to commit war crimes and other atrocities," would constitute a grievous stain on the United Nations, undermining its credibility.

In response, Moscow's UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya accused the US of spearheading a campaign aimed at preventing Russia's reinstatement to the council. These exchanges underscore the deep-seated divisions and concerns surrounding the re-election of Russia to the Human Rights Council.

During a Security Council meeting initiated by Ukraine to address the recent missile strike on a Ukrainian soldier's wake in Hroza, a village where more than 50 people lost their lives, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya made a striking remark. He asserted that the primary concern of their American counterparts revolved around the prospect of Russia securing a position on the Human Rights Council, alluding to a strong emphasis on this issue.

In election, the only competitive race unfolded within the Latin America and Caribbean group, where Cuba, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic emerged victorious against Peru for the three available seats. Human Rights Watch (HRW) had raised concerns about Cuba's candidacy, citing systematic rights violations such as harassment, arbitrary detentions, and torture of dissidents. Nevertheless, Cuba garnered the highest number of votes among the four competing countries, receiving 146 votes.

In other regional races that were uncontested the Asian group featured China, Japan, Kuwait, and Indonesia for four seats, while the African group selected Burundi, Malawi, Ghana, and Ivory Coast for four seats. The Western group witnessed France and the Netherlands vying for two seats.

HRW issued an appeal to members of the General Assembly, urging them to oppose the candidacies of both Russia and China. Louis Charbonneau said in a statement that Russia and China persistently commit significant human rights abuses, which should disqualify them from the UN Human Rights Council. HRW cited ongoing apparent war crimes by Russian forces in Ukraine, including unlawful attacks and mistreatment of prisoners, along with crimes against humanity, encompassing torture, summary executions, and enforced disappearances against civilians.

Furthermore, HRW highlighted concerns about China's rights record, asserting that it too should be ineligible for the Human Rights Council. Specifically, the discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in the Xinjiang region raised potential allegations of crimes against humanity.

In the preceding year's election, contested races resulted in Venezuela, South Korea, and Afghanistan losing out, while countries with reported poor human rights records, including Vietnam and Sudan, secured seats.

Image source: Reuters