United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/3

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]

UN General Assembly
Resolution ES-11/3
  
In favour
  
Against
  
Abstained
  
Absent
  
Non-UN member
Date7 April 2022
Meeting no.11th Emergency Special Session (continued)
CodeA/RES/ES-11/3 (Document)
SubjectSuspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council
Voting summary
  • 93 voted for
  • 24 voted against
  • 58 abstained
  • 18 absent
ResultResolution adopted
Permanent members
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Background

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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

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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
  1. ^ Myanmar was represented in the United Nations by the National Unity Government of the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw which consist of officials who were ousted in the 2021 coup d'état.[15][16]
  2. ^ Venezuela was suspended from voting in the 76th session and the 11th emergency special session owing to its failure to pay dues in the previous two years, for which it did not receive a special waiver from the Assembly.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Ukraine: Apparent War Crimes in Russia-Controlled Areas". Human Rights Watch. 3 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Russia's Bucha "Facts" Versus the Evidence". bellingcat. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "UN suspends Libya from Human Rights Council". France 24. 1 March 2011. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Sochan, Ry. "Cambodia abstains from Russian UN human rights vote". www.phnompenhpost.com. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  16. ^ "Afghanistan, Myanmar to vote against Russia at UN". France 24. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  17. ^ 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.
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