UN Resolution A/ES-11/L.4 (Suspension of the Rights of Membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council)

 

On 7 April 2022 the UN General Assembly approved Resolution A/ES-11/L.4 (Suspension of the Rights of Membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council). 

Russia's deputy U.N. Ambassador Gennady Kuzmin said now was not the time for "theatrical performances" and accused Western countries and allies of trying to "destroy existing human rights architecture."

"We reject the untruthful allegations against us based on staged events and widely circulated fakes," Kuzmin told the General Assembly before the vote, defending Russia's record as a Human Rights Council member.

After abstaining on the previous two General Assembly votes, Russia's partner China opposed the resolution Thursday.

"Such a hasty move at the General Assembly, which forces countries to choose sides, will aggravate the division among member states, intensify the confrontation between the parties concerned - it is like adding fuel to the fire," China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said before the vote. (United Nations suspends Russia from human rights body over Ukraine)

The Text of the Draft Res. A/ES-11/L.4 follows. The Russian delegation response is extraordinarily rich with irony. Yet what will linger is the quite astute observation of the Chinese delegation--states have been asked to choose sides. To China's chagrin that choice was put to the fracturing global order before it was prepared to maximize its own benefit from the action. And yet here we are. States have been asked to take sides. They have done so, at least in this first preliminary round.  The consequences of these choices will become better exposed in the coming months. What is beginning to appear on the near horizon, however, are the alignments of dependency that mark both the border and peripheries of emerging bi-polar systems.

 

Eleventh emergency special session
Agenda item 5

Letter dated 28 February 2014 from the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2014/136)

A/ES-11/L.4
Distr.: Limited
6 April 2022 Original: English

Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America:

Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, in particular paragraph 8, which states that the General Assembly may suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of a member of the Council that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights,

Taking note of Human Rights Council resolution 49/1 of 4 March 2022, in particular the grave concern of the Council regarding reports of gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Russian Federation during its aggression against Ukraine,

Recalling its resolutions ES-11/1 of 2 March 2022 and ES-11/2 of 24 March 2022,

Expressing grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, in particular at the reports of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation, including gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights, recognizing the strong expressions of concern in statements by the Secretary-General and by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and noting the latest update on the human rights situation in Ukraine by the human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, of 26 March 2022,

1. Decides to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation;

2. Also decides to review the matter, as appropriate;

3. Further decides to adjourn the eleventh emergency special session of the General Assembly temporarily and to authorize the President of the General Assembly to resume its meetings upon request from Member States.