Ukraine war: Russia suspended from UN Human Rights Council; India abstains from voting

The resolution titled ‘Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council’ was adopted with 93 votes in favour, 24 against and 58 abstentions, including India.

With this, Russia became the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the rights council, which was established in 2006. In 2011, Libya was suspended by the assembly when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Since January this year, India has abstained on procedural votes and draft resolutions in the UN Security Council, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council that disapproved of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

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Explaining its stand 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 said.

On Tuesday, India had unequivocally condemned the “deeply disturbing” reports of civilian killings in Bucha and backed the call for an independent probe.

Tirumurti said India continues to remain deeply concerned at the exasperating situation and reiterates its call put stop to all hostilities. “When innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option,” he said.

Mentioning that the impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis has been felt beyond the region with soaring food and energy costs, especially for developing countries, Tirumurti said, “It is in our collective interest to work constructively, both inside the United Nations and outside, towards seeking an early resolution to the conflict,” he said.

He pointed out that India is a country which has been at the forefront of protecting human rights, right from the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “We firmly believe that all decisions should be taken fully respecting due process, as all our democratic polity and structures enjoin us to do. This applies to international organisations as well, particularly the United Nations,” Tirumurti added.

The UNGA resumed its Emergency Special Session following a request from Antigua and Barbuda, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Georgia, Japan, Liberia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and the Head of the Delegation of the European Union, representing 27 members of the European Union.

The draft resolution — ‘Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council’ notes the Human Rights Council resolution of March 4, 2022, in particular its grave concern over reports of “gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights” and “violations of international humanitarian law” committed by Russia during its conflict with Ukraine.

The resolution expresses “grave concern” over the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, particularly over the reports of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by Russia.

The Human Rights Council consists of 47 Member States, elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the UNGA members.  The General Assembly, with its two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, “may suspend the rights of membership in the Council of a member of the Council that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights”. Abstentions do not count.

Russia’s current membership on the Council expires in December 2023.

–With inputs from PTI