United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/3
2022 resolution suspending Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council
United Nations resolution resolution adopted in 2022
United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES‑11/3 is a resolution of the eleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly , adopted on 7 April 2022. The resolution suspended the membership of Russia in the United Nations Human Rights Council over "grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine [...] including gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights " committed by Russia, and was passed with 93 votes in favour, 24 against, and 58 abstentions.[1]
Background
On 1 April 2022, video footage of the Bucha massacre became public, linking the massacre to the Russian Armed Forces .[2] [3] [4] [5] On 4 April, citing the Bucha massacre, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced that the United States would seek the removal of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.[6] At the time, Russia was serving a three-year elected term on the Council.[7]
Draft resolution A/ES-11/L.4 was introduced on 6 April 2022.[8] [9] Previously, only Libya had its membership rights stripped from the body, as a result of the actions of the Gaddafi regime against anti-government protestors in 2011.[10] [11] Prior to the vote, the Russian delegation to the United Nations privately circulated a letter urging countries not to vote in favour or to abstain on the resolution, stressing that doing so would impact bilateral relations.[12]
Voting
On 7 April 2022, the UN General Assembly, which required a two-thirds majority, adopted the resolution with 93 votes in favour and 24 countries voting against.[1] 58 countries abstained. With Russia's membership valid through 2023,[13] the Russian delegation announced it had quit the Human Rights Council earlier that day in expectation of the vote.[14]
A map showing the vote for the United Nations General Assembly resolution ES-11/3 in Europe. In favour
Against
Abstained
Absent
Non-UN member
Voting on Resolution ES-11/3
Vote
Tally
States
Percent of votes
Percent of member states
Approve
93
Albania , Andorra , Antigua and Barbuda , Argentina , Australia , Austria , Bahamas , Belgium , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bulgaria , Canada , Chad , Chile , Colombia , Comoros , Costa Rica , Côte d'Ivoire , Croatia , Cyprus , Czech Republic , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Denmark , Dominica , Dominican Republic , Ecuador , Estonia , Fiji , Finland , France , Georgia , Germany , Greece , Grenada , Guatemala , Haiti , Honduras , Hungary , Iceland , Ireland , Israel , Italy , Jamaica , Japan , Kiribati , Latvia , Liberia , Libya , Liechtenstein , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Malawi , Malta , Marshall Islands , Mauritius , Micronesia , Moldova , Monaco , Montenegro , Myanmar [a] , Nauru , Netherlands , New Zealand , North Macedonia , Norway , Palau , Panama , Papua New Guinea , Paraguay , Peru , Philippines , Poland , Portugal , Romania , Saint Lucia , Samoa , San Marino , Serbia , Seychelles , Sierra Leone , Slovakia , Slovenia , South Korea , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , Timor-Leste , Tonga , Turkey , Tuvalu , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States , Uruguay
79.49%
48.19%
Against
24
Algeria , Belarus , Bolivia , Burundi , Central African Republic , China , Congo , Cuba , Eritrea , Ethiopia , Gabon , Iran , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Laos , Mali , Nicaragua , North Korea , Russia , Syria , Tajikistan , Uzbekistan , Vietnam , Zimbabwe
20.51%
12.44%
Abstain
58
Angola , Bahrain , Bangladesh , Barbados , Belize , Bhutan , Botswana , Brazil , Brunei , Cabo Verde , Cambodia , Cameroon , Egypt , El Salvador , Eswatini , Gambia , Ghana , Guinea-Bissau , Guyana , India , Indonesia , Iraq , Jordan , Kenya , Kuwait , Lesotho , Madagascar , Malaysia , Maldives , Mexico , Mongolia , Mozambique , Namibia , Nepal , Niger , Nigeria , Oman , Pakistan , Qatar , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , Saudi Arabia , Senegal , Singapore , South Africa , South Sudan , Sri Lanka , Sudan , Suriname , Tanzania , Thailand , Togo , Trinidad and Tobago , Tunisia , Uganda , United Arab Emirates , Vanuatu , Yemen
–
30.05%
Absent
18
Afghanistan , Armenia , Azerbaijan , Benin , Burkina Faso , Djibouti , Equatorial Guinea , Guinea , Lebanon , Mauritania , Morocco , Rwanda , São Tomé and Príncipe , Solomon Islands , Somalia , Turkmenistan , Venezuela ,[b] Zambia
–
9.33%
Total
193
–
100%
100%
Source: A/RES/ES-11/3 voting record
See also
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References
^ a b Nichols, Michelle (7 April 2022). "U.N. suspends Russia from human rights body, Moscow then quits" . Reuters . Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ Ough, Tom (4 April 2022). "Debunking Russia's Bucha massacre conspiracy theories" . The Telegraph . ISSN 0307-1235 . Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ Amann, Melanie; Gebauer, Matthias; Schmid, Fidelius (7 April 2022). "Possible Evidence of Russian Atrocities: German Intelligence Intercepts Radio Traffic Discussing the Murder of Civilians in Bucha" . Der Spiegel . ISSN 2195-1349 . Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ "Ukraine: Apparent War Crimes in Russia-Controlled Areas" . Human Rights Watch . 3 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ "Russia's Bucha "Facts" Versus the Evidence" . bellingcat . 4 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ McGRATH, Stephen (5 April 2022). "US to seek Russia's suspension from Human Rights Council" . ABC News . Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ "UN votes to suspend Russia from its Human Rights Council despite opposition" . Deutsche Welle (DW) . 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ "UN to Vote on Expelling Russia from Human Rights Council" . VOA . 6 April 2022. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ Barbuda, Antigua and (6 April 2022). "Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council : draft resolution" . UN Digital Library . Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ "Russia suspended from human rights council after UN general assembly vote" . the Guardian . 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ "UN suspends Libya from Human Rights Council" . France 24 . 1 March 2011. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ "Russia threatens states with consequences over UN vote on Human Rights Council" . www.euractiv.com . 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ Lederer, Edith M.; Peltz, Jennifer (7 April 2022). "U.N. General Assembly suspends Russia from Human Rights Council" . PBS. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
^ Lederer, Edith M.; Peltz, Jennifer (7 April 2022). "UN assembly suspends Russia from top human rights body" . AP News . Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022 .
^ Sochan, Ry. "Cambodia abstains from Russian UN human rights vote" . www.phnompenhpost.com . Retrieved 10 April 2022 .
^ "Afghanistan, Myanmar to vote against Russia at UN" . France 24 . 1 March 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022 .
^ Guterres, António (27 February 2022). "Letter dated 27 February 2022 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the General Assembly" . Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 .
External links
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