India abstains from voting in UN General Assembly to suspend Russia from Human Rights Council
United Nations, Apr 7: India on Thursday abstained in the UN General Assembly on a vote moved by the US to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers killed civilians while retreating from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
The 193-member UN General Assembly voted to adopt the resolution suspending Russia from the world body's top human rights organisation. The draft received 93 votes in favour, 24 against and 58 abstentions. Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, stands suspended from the Human Rights Council. No permanent member of the UN Security Council has ever had its membership revoked from any organ of the world body.
"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," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said in the Explanation of Vote after the voting. "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.
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 deplored Russian aggression against Ukraine. New Delhi had on Tuesday unequivocally condemned the "deeply disturbing" reports of civilian killings in the Ukrainian city of Bucha and supported the call for an independent investigation, as it underlined that when innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option.
Tirumurti said India continues to remain deeply concerned at the worsening situation and reiterates its call for end to all hostilities. "When innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option," he said. He reiterated that recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing. "We have unequivocally condemned these killings and support the call for an independent investigation."
The General Assembly resumed its Emergency Special Session after 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, on behalf of 27 members of the European Union.
The Human Rights Council consists of 47 Member States, elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the members of the General Assembly. The General Assembly, by a 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 and the resolution required two-thirds of yes/no votes to be adopted. Tirumurti said the impact of the crisis has also been felt beyond the region with increasing food and energy costs, especially for many developing countries. "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.
India has been at the forefront of protecting human rights, right from the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he noted. "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 said.
The Assembly voted on the draft resolution that "decides to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation."
Russia's current membership on the Council ends in December 2023. The only time a Member State was suspended from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council was Libya in 2011 when in an unprecedented move a resolution was adopted in the General Assembly that had expressed "deep concern about the human rights situation in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya" in the wake of Muammar Al-Qadhafi's violent crackdown on anti-Government protestors.
The draft resolution titled '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 regarding reports of "gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights" and "violations of international humanitarian law" committed by Russia during its aggression against Ukraine.
The
draft
resolution
expresses
"grave
concern" at
the
ongoing
human
rights
and
humanitarian
crisis
in
Ukraine,
particularly
at
the
reports
of
violations
and
abuses
of
human
rights
and
violations
of
international
humanitarian
law
by
Russia,
including
gross
and
systematic
violations
and
abuses
of
human
rights.
It
recognises
strong
expressions
of
concern
in
statements
by
UN
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres
and
by
the
High
Commissioner
for
Human
Rights
Michelle
Bachelet.
US
Ambassador
at
UN
Linda
Thomas-Greenfield
had
told
reporters
in
Bucharest,
Romania
this
week
that
Washington,
in
close
coordination
with
Ukraine,
European
countries
and
other
partners
at
the
UN,
was
going
to
seek
Russia's
suspension
from
the
UN
Human
Rights
Council.
"Russia
should
not
have
a
position
of
authority
in
that
body,
nor
should
we
allow
Russia
to
use
their
role
on
the
Council
as
a
tool
of
propaganda
to
suggest
they
have
a
legitimate
concern
about
human
rights.
"In
fact,
we
see
every
day,
including
yesterday,
heartbreaking
reports
about
how
little
they
care
about
human
rights.
Russia's
participation
on
the
Human
Rights
Council
is
a
farce.
It
hurts
the
credibility
of
the
Council
and
the
UN
writ
large.
And
it
is
simply
wrong.
Which
is
why
we
believe
it
is
time
for
the
UN
General
Assembly
to
suspend
them,"
she
said.
PTI