April 10, 2022–This week, the UN General Assembly by a two-thirds majority put forth a resolution to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council. With a vote of 93 for-to-24 against with 58 countries abstaining, the resolution passed.
Some of the countries that voted to remove Russia included Ukraine, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway. China, Cuba, and Iran joined the countries siding with Russia. Meanwhile, India, Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan, and Singapore were among the 58 countries that abstained from the vote.
It was April 7th, and it was the anniversary of the 1994 genocide.
Mass Atrocities in Ukraine
One of the main factors influencing the special session of the General Assembly was multiple reports last week of atrocities in Bucha, Ukraine, and other Ukrainian areas by Russian troops. After Russian troops left the city of Bucha, Ukrainian officials found hundreds of dead civilian bodies and mass graves. According to Ukraine’s delegate to the UN, officials discovered that “thousands of peaceful residents have been killed, tortured, raped and abducted and robbed by the Russian army.”
China Calls For Countries To Work In the ‘Same Direction’
China’s Ambassador Zhang Jun, said he thought the resolution would add “fuel to the fire” to the situation. He said he supports a “peaceful settlement of the crisis.”?In his statement, Zhang said the following:
“We?regret?to?see?that?the?conflict?has?caused?civilian?casualties?and?massive?displacements,?and?that?the?all-dimensional,?indiscriminate?and?bottomless?sanctions?have?brought?serious,?negative?impact?on?the?post-pandemic?recovery,?creating?new?and?complex?problems,?reversing?hard-won?development?gains,?and?making?the?realization?of?the?2030?Agenda?even?more?difficult.”?
-Zhang Jun, China’s representative to the UN
Zhang further called on all?parties?”to?work?together?in?the?same?direction.”
Russia’s representative, meanwhile, said Russia is deciding to withdraw from the UNHRC.
