Ukraine war: UN suspends Russia from Human Rights Council

Russia has been suspended from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the world body's top human rights organisation.

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New Delhi: The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday (April 7) approved a resolution suspending Russia’s membership in Human Rights Council. 

The 193-member General Assembly voted to adopt the US-led resolution suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the world body's top human rights organisation. 93 nations voted in favour of the resolution, 58 including India abstained, while 24 countries voted against the draft resolution. 

A two-thirds majority of voting members was required to suspend Russia from the 47-member UNHRC. 

The resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly draft expressed "grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine," Reuters reported. 

Reacting to Russia’s suspension, Ukraine said there is no place for “war criminals” in UN bodies adding that it is “grateful”. Taking to Twitter, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote, “Russia’s rights of membership in the UN Human Rights Council has just been suspended. War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights. Grateful to all member states which supported the relevant UNGA resolution and chose the right side of history.

Russia’s rights of membership in the UN Human Rights Council has just been suspended. War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights. Grateful to all member states which supported the relevant UNGA resolution and chose the right side of history. — Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 7, 2022

Speaking on India’s decision to abstain in the Explanation of Vote after the voting, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said, “India has abstained on the resolution with regard to suspension of the Russian Federation from the Human Rights Council adopted in the General Assembly today. We do so for reasons of both substance and process." 

"Since the inception of the Ukrainian conflict, India has stood for peace, dialogue and diplomacy. We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. If India has chosen any side, it is the side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence,” he added. 

India also called for an independent inquiry in the Bucha killings, wherein it is alleged that Russian soldiers killed civilians while retreating from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. "Recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing. We have unequivocally condemned these killings and support the call for an independent investigation," India's Permanent Representative to UN said, as per ANI.  

India has abstained from procedural votes and draft resolutions in the UN Security Council since January this year that condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(With agency inputs)