Russia wants to rejoin the United Nations Human Rights Council, the BBC says, citing a document that Russian diplomats are distributing to UN members.
Russia was expelled from the United Nations Human Rights Council in April, more than a year after the invasion of Ukraine began, but Moscow is now seeking support for a new three-year mandate. The vote is expected to take place in October.
In the document cited by the BBC, Russia promises to find “adequate solutions to human rights issues”, expressing the desire to prevent the Human Rights Council from becoming “an instrument that serves the political will of a group of countries.” “, in a reference. westward.
According to the BBC, several diplomats say Russia hopes to regain some international credibility after being accused of human rights violations in Ukraine and within its own borders. To return to the UN Human Rights Council, Russia will carry out an aggressive campaign, offering small countries grain and weapons in exchange for their votes.
The document also states that the Russians want to “promote principles of cooperation and strengthen constructive and mutually respectful dialogue in the Council to find appropriate solutions to human rights issues.”
In Geneva on Monday, the chairman of the commission of inquiry set up by the Human Rights Council to examine the situation in Ukraine confirmed that there is “continuing evidence” of war crimes committed by Russia, including torture, rape and attacks on civilians.
Last week, a UN report warned about the human rights situation in Russia, which has worsened substantially since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The UN special rapporteur for Russia, Mariana Katzarova, condemned the “persistent use of torture”, including sexual violence.
A separate report published this month by UN Watch, the Human Rights Foundation and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights concludes that Russia is “not qualified” to be a member of the UN Human Rights Council.
“Reelecting Russia now, while the war against Ukraine is still ongoing, would be counterproductive to human rights and send a message that the UN is not serious about holding Russia accountable for its crimes in Ukraine,” the document states.
The UN Human Rights Council is based in Geneva and has 47 members, each elected for a three-year term.
In the next elections, scheduled for October 10, Russia will compete with Albania and Bulgaria for the two council seats reserved for Central and Eastern European countries.
All 193 members of the UN General Assembly in New York will participate in the vote.
Source: TSF
