UN to vote on suspending Russia from Human Rights Council

The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Thursday on a move by the US to suspend Russia from the world body’s Human Rights Council for its invasion and invasion of Ukraine.

The office of the President of the UN General Assembly said the emergency special session of the 193-member UN body will resume at 10 a.m. on Thursday and is expected to act on a draft resolution to suspend Russia.

The Human Rights Council consists of 47 member states, elected directly and personally by secret ballot by a majority of the members of the General Assembly. The General Assembly may, by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, “suspend the rights of a member of the Council for membership in the Council for a gross and systematic violation of human rights.”

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US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters in Bucharest, Romania, that Washington, in close coordination with Ukraine, European countries and other UN partners, was going to demand Russia’s suspension from the UN Human Rights Council. Was.

“One hundred and forty member states of the United Nations have already voted to condemn Russia for its unprovoked war and humanitarian crisis that it has inflicted on the people of Ukraine. My message to the 140 countries that stand courageously together : Images of Buka and the devastation across Ukraine now requires us to mix our words with action.

“We cannot allow a member state to sit on the UN Human Rights Council to destroy every principle that is dear to us,” he said, pointing to UN member states. demanded that Moscow immediately withdraw its forces and end hostilities.

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“Russia should not have a position of authority in that body, nor should we allow Russia to use its role in the Council as an instrument of propaganda to suggest that they should have an understanding of human rights.” There is a legitimate concern… Russia’s participation in the Human Rights Council is a farce. It damages the credibility of the Council and the United Nations. And it is absolutely wrong. That is why we believe the UN General Assembly to suspend them It’s time to do it,” she said.

India has categorically condemned the “deeply disturbing” reports of civilian killings in Ukraine’s Bucha city and supported the call for an independent investigation, as it underlined that when innocent human lives are at stake, So diplomacy should prevail as the only viable option.