UN Human Rights Council Prolongs Russia Monitoring
The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday extended the mandate of its rapporteur on rights violations in Russia by a year, in a second diplomatic defeat for Moscow in three days
Geneva, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 12th Oct, 2023) The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday extended the mandate of its rapporteur on rights violations in Russia by a year, in a second diplomatic defeat for Moscow in three days.
The United Nations’ top rights body adopted a resolution brought by several European countries to prolong Bulgarian human rights expert Mariana Katzarova for another year by 18 votes to seven.
On Tuesday, countries scotched Russia’s bid to rejoin the 47-member Human Rights Council, having kicked Moscow out in April last year following its invasion of Ukraine.
However, 83 countries at the United Nations General Assembly in New York did vote for Russia to rejoin the UN’s top rights body — more than Ukraine and its allies had hoped for.
In Geneva on Thursday, the rights council inflicted another diplomatic blow on Russia by passing the resolution.
Argentina, Britain, France, Germany, Ukraine and the United States were among the countries voting to extend the special rapporteur’s mandate.
China, Cuba, Eritrea, Kazakhstan and Vietnam voted against a prolongation.
India, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates were among the 22 countries abstaining.
In October 2022, the council decided a special rapporteur was needed for Russia, amid concerns over an intensifying domestic crackdown by Moscow during its war in Ukraine.
In April, the council agreed to appoint Katzarova.
She is the first UN-backed monitor of the rights situation in any of the five permanent member states on the UN Security Council.
The resolution passed Thursday calls on Moscow to establish “constructive communication and full cooperation” with Katzarova and allow her unhindered access, including to meet freely with civil society and individuals in detention.
Moscow has refused to let her in and not recognised her mandate.
“No country is above scrutiny, no matter how upsetting or embarrassing they find it; no matter how strong their military is; on matter how wide the reach of their proxies; and no matter how aggressively they threaten or cajole other countries,” US ambassador Michele Taylor told the council before Thursday’s vote.
