Bangladesh, India, China abstains in UNGA on vote to suspend Russia from UN Human Rights Council
The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights
The United Nations General Assembly voted to suspend Russia from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council on Thursday with Bangladesh, India, China and some 55 countries abstaining from voting.
The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over reports of "gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights" by invading Russian troops in Ukraine.
Of the 193 members in the assembly, 93 voted in favor and 24 voted against. Some 58 members abstained, giving the vote the two-thirds majority needed to pass.
In comparison to previous votes condemning Russia's invasion, a greater number of Russia-friendly countries such as China voted against rather than abstaining, reports DW.
The US-led push garnered 93 votes in favor, while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained. A two-thirds majority of voting members - abstentions do not count - was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member council. Suspensions are rare. Libya was suspended in 2011 because of violence against protesters by forces loyal to then-leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Bangladesh on 24 March voted in favour of Ukraine at an UN resolution and abstained from voting against Russia on another resolution on 2 March.
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.
"The situation in Ukraine has not shown any significant improvement since the Council last discussed the issue. The security situation has only deteriorated, as well as its humanitarian consequences," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T. S. Tirumurti told a meeting on Ukraine in the UN Security Council Tuesday that was addressed for the first time by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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.