The expulsion of Russia from the main UN forum for the defense of human rights strengthens the institution and sends a powerful message: countries guilty of violations cannot be members, believe several NGOs.
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The UN General Assembly voted by a large majority on Thursday to prevent Russia from trying its peers in the Human Rights Council, when Moscow is accused of war crimes in Ukraine, since the invasion of the February 24.
In the wake of this vote (93 votes against 24, and 58 abstentions) Russia, which totally denies the accusations of war crimes and judges “illegal» her sidelining, announced that she was retiring from the Board, thus becoming a mere observer with reduced prerogatives. The only country ever suspended before Russia was Libya, in 2011.
“very clear message»
“The General Assembly sent a very clear message to the Russian leadership: a government whose army regularly and horribly violates human rights has no place in the UN Human Rights Council», praised the powerful human rights NGO, Human Rights Watch.
“The Human Rights Council is no place for states that commit massive human rights violations, including acts that constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity”
Phil Lynch, NGO Executive Director, International Service for Human Rights
“This sends a powerful message that the Human Rights Council is not a place for states that commit massive human rights violations, including acts that constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.“, added Phil Lynch, the executive director of the NGO, International Service for Human Rights.
In a tweet, Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine said to himself “grateful for the solidarity of the partners… now let’s together force Russia to make peace“.
commission of inquiry for trial
The Human Rights Council, created in 2006 to replace a discredited Human Rights Commission, has 47 member states representing all major regions of the world. In addition to the promotion of human rights, its mission is to regularly examine their situation in the member countries of the UN: the Council can also take up any question or situation that requires it. This is the case for Ukraine.
The Council created by a large majority a commission of inquiry with a view to future trials, to identify those responsible for the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law “so that they have to answer for their actions“. The commission is chaired by Erik Mose, a former judge at the Supreme Court of Norway and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), who also chaired the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
Plow before the oxen
Several member countries invoked this commission of inquiry on Thursday to justify their abstention, such as Mexico and Brazil, arguing that expelling Russia before the end of the investigation was putting the cart before the horse. The usual allies of Russia – whose record in terms of human rights is also criticized – such as Venezuela or Cuba but also China have denounced what they call a politicization of the Council.
Gennady Gatilov, the Russian ambassador to the UN in Geneva was more direct, accusing “impudent and unprincipled Western countriesto discredit the Human Rights Council,irreparably damage its reputation and undermine its credibility“.
Conversely, Phil Lynch believes with AFP that this vote “significantly strengthens” the legitimacy of the Council by showing that as much State even powerful “cannot escape scrutiny“. More skeptical, Rushan Abbas, an activist for the cause of the Uyghur Muslim minority, criticized the double standards.
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Too many countriesbenefit economically from Chinato have her removed from the Council, despite accusations of genocide against the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority in China. Accusations from NGOs and many states that Beijing strongly rejects.
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