Current Affairs 2022: UN Human Rights Council Suspends Russia

The resolution to suspend Russia from UNHRC was passed with 93 votes in favour, 24 votes against and 58 abstentions.

UNHRC Suspends Russia

The United Nations Human Rights Council is a United Nations body that addresses human rights issues for its member states.  A key purpose of the Council is to ensure that all human rights and civil liberties are respected worldwide and to investigate and make recommendations in cases of serious and persistent violations of human rights.  The Council has 47 Member States chosen for three-year terms by the UN General Assembly.

With contributions from various stakeholder groups, the Council acts as a venue for discussion among nations. The Council may declare resolutions calling on states to take particular steps or maintain certain standards as an outcome of its negotiations. The UN Human Rights Council also oversees the Universal Periodic Review, which examines each UN Member State's entire record on human rights. 

Russia’s suspension from UNHRC

The United Nations General Assembly recently voted to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council after the US proposed a resolution alleging that Russian forces murdered innocent people while withdrawing from villages near Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. 

The resolution Suspension of the Russian Federation's rights to participation in the Human Rights Council was passed with 93 votes in favour, 24 votes against, and 58 abstentions. India did not cast a vote. It is a major move by the international community clearly highlighting how Russian President Vladimir Putin's war has rendered Russia a worldwide pariah. In a joint statement released, the Group of Seven nations— Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States — considered Russia's suspension from the council, quoting the list of horrific acts and extreme violations of international human rights including those in Ukrainian city, Bucha.

Salient Features of UNHRC

• The UNHRC has a broad scope that allows it to intervene in human rights violations all across the world. As a result, it brings together representatives of civil society to express concerns about human rights breaches.
• The Universal Periodic Review encourages national-level human rights discussions and requires that each UN member state assesses the basic rights of its citizens on a regular basis.
• The UNHRC Special Procedures provide a worldwide source of information on human rights issues and part of the world’s circumstances, assisting in the better understanding of human rights legislation.
• Regardless of their common history or domestic politics, an increasing number of governments from all over the world have begun to cooperate. Regional bloc casting procedures are becoming outdated, and thoughtful debate and collaborative actions have started to take place.
• Despite efforts towards the contrary by certain HRC members, the UNHRC has recently enacted decisions that have been identified and denounced specific infractions. In the middle of the Arab Spring, for particular, the Human Rights Council officially decided to suspend Libya's membership. Recently, the Council denied Syria's candidacy for membership due to human rights breaches, and even an inquiry was launched.
• The UNHRC's recommendations for specialized mandates have resulted in concrete steps on issues ranging from opposing interrogation in Jordan to safeguarding journalists in Cambodia and decreasing jail terms in China.
• At the HRC, contentious issues such as LGBTQ rights and religious discrimination have been raised many times. South Africa's efforts to recognise the rights of LGBTQ people were met with extreme resistance from its neighbours, but it was backed by the far off countries such as Brazil, Colombia, the United States, and others.

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