Russia already has a substitute in the chair of the UN Human Rights Council. The UN General Assembly has elected this Tuesday the Czech Republic as a new member of the organization.
The Czech candidacy was the only and was endorsed with 157 votes in favornone against and 23 abstentions in a vote carried out in the General Assembly, in which more than two dozen countries chose not to participate.
Last April, the UN countries agreed to suspend Russia’s participation in the Human Rights Council in an almost unprecedented decision, promoted by the United States and its allies as a result of the war in Ukraine.
The United Nations General Assembly approved the initiative with 93 votes in favor, 24 against and 58 abstentionsfar exceeding the required two-thirds majority, given that only “yeses” and “noes” were taken into account.
Russia, second suspended country
Russia became the second country suspended from the Human Rights Council since it was created in 2006. after the exclusion of Libya from Muammar Gaddafi in response to the crackdown on the 2011 protests.
Immediately after his expulsion, Moscow announced its voluntary withdrawal of the Geneva-based body, considering that it has become an instrument of the West.
The Human Rights Council is the highest body of the United Nations in this area and is made up of 47 countries, elected for three-year terms.
Its composition, which is decided in elections held annually, has been regularly criticized for including states with very questionable records in terms of human rights.
.
