Russia’s bid to rejoin the United Nations’ top human rights body has faced a resounding defeat at the General Assembly. The assembly had previously suspended Moscow due to its invasion of Ukraine. The competition for the East European regional group’s two seats on the Geneva-based Human Rights Council pitted Russia against Albania and Bulgaria. In a secret ballot, Bulgaria secured 160 votes, Albania 123, and Russia only 83. While Russia claimed support from a silent majority, this result has raised concerns, particularly for Ukraine and its Western allies.
In other regional races, the Latin America and Caribbean group saw Cuba, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic win three seats, defeating Peru. Cuba, despite accusations of systematic rights violations, garnered the most votes with 146. In the Asia group, China, Japan, Kuwait, and Indonesia contended for four seats. Indonesia led the vote with 186, followed by Kuwait with 183 and Japan with 175. China, despite criticism from human rights groups, received 164 votes.
Two non-competitive regional races included four African seats, where Malawi secured 182 votes, followed by Ivory Coast with 181 and Ghana with 179. In the Western seats, the Netherlands defeated France with 169 votes compared to 153.
The spotlight was on Russia’s campaign to rejoin the Human Rights Council. Moscow’s UN ambassador accused the US of leading efforts to prevent Russia’s return, citing concerns over its human rights record. This development follows Russia’s suspension from the council after allegations of war crimes during the Ukraine conflict. The vote underscores the ongoing global scrutiny of human rights issues in international diplomacy.
