After the United States announced on Monday it would seek Russia’s suspension from the UN Human Rights Council following the accusation of mass murdering civilians in Bucha, Ukraine, the United Nations General Assembly will vote on the move on Thursday.
US-led Western countries believe they have enough support among the 193-member UNGA to suspend Moscow by adopting the draft resolution expressing grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield explained the move on Monday, stressing it’s important to tell Russia they’re not going to allow it to continue to pretend to respect human rights and act with such impunity.
Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, called the proposal to kick Russia out unbelievable during a UNSC meeting on Tuesday.
European countries and other 140 partners at the UN voted in early March to condemn Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. UNGHA has adopted two resolutions denouncing Russia with 141 and 140 votes in favor since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24.
Moscow is in its second year of a three-year term on the Geneva-based HRC, whose decisions are not legally binding but send important political messages and can authorize investigations.
The 47-member council can suspend a country with s two-thirds majority of voting members – abstentions do not count – just like in the case of Libya, which was suspended in 2011 amid a violent crackdown on peaceful protests.
Meanwhile, Russia has threatened UNGA member countries with consequences for bilateral ties for any yes vote or abstention, which will be viewed as an unfriendly gesture.
The note that Russia’s mission to the UN sent to an unknown number of countries to urge them to speak out against the anti-Russian resolution, read that the position of each country voting yes or taking an equidistant position in the vote will be taken into account both in the development of bilateral relations and in the work on the issues important for it within the framework of the UN.
Olivia Dalton, the spokesperson for the US mission to the UN, accused Russia on Wednesday of blatantly and openly threatening countries who vote to suspend them from the UNHCR, stressing that it’s only further evidence that Russia needs to be suspended immediately from the UN body.
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