United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/3

{{Short description|2022 resolution suspending Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council}}

{{Infobox UN resolution

|number = ES-11/3

|organ = GA

|date = 7 April

|year = 2022

|meeting = 11th Emergency Special Session (continued)

|code = A/RES/ES-11/3

|document = https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3967950?ln=en

|for = 93

|abstention = 58

|against = 24

|absent = 18

|subject = Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council

|result = Resolution adopted

|image = File:United Nations General Assembly resolution ES-11 L.4 vote.svg

|caption = {{aligned table|style=margin:auto|{{Legend|#74C365}}|In favour|{{Legend|#ab4e52}}|Against|{{Legend|#FADA5E}}|Abstained|{{Legend|#89CFF0}}|Absent|{{legend|#C0C0C0}}|Non-UN member}}

}}

The 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.{{Cite news |last=Nichols |first=Michelle |date=2022-04-07 |title=U.N. suspends Russia from human rights body, Moscow then quits |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/un-vote-suspending-russia-human-rights-council-over-ukraine-2022-04-07/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |archive-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407162630/https://www.reuters.com/world/un-vote-suspending-russia-human-rights-council-over-ukraine-2022-04-07/ |url-status=live }}

Background

{{Main|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|War crimes in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Bucha massacre}}

On 1 April 2022, video footage of the Bucha massacre became public, linking the massacre to the Russian Armed Forces.{{Cite news |last=Ough |first=Tom |date=2022-04-04 |title=Debunking Russia's Bucha massacre conspiracy theories |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/04/04/ukraine-bucha-massacre-russia-conspiracy-theories-misinformation/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407202947/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/04/04/ukraine-bucha-massacre-russia-conspiracy-theories-misinformation/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last1=Amann |first1=Melanie |last2=Gebauer |first2=Matthias |last3=Schmid |first3=Fidelius |date=2022-04-07 |title=Possible Evidence of Russian Atrocities: German Intelligence Intercepts Radio Traffic Discussing the Murder of Civilians in Bucha |language=en |work=Der Spiegel |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/possible-evidence-of-russian-atrocities-german-intelligence-intercepts-radio-traffic-discussing-the-murder-of-civilians-in-bucha-a-0a191c96-634f-4d07-8c5c-c4a772315b0d |access-date=2022-04-08 |issn=2195-1349}}{{Cite web |date=2022-04-03 |title=Ukraine: Apparent War Crimes in Russia-Controlled Areas |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/03/ukraine-apparent-war-crimes-russia-controlled-areas |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=Human Rights Watch |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-04-04 |title=Russia's Bucha "Facts" Versus the Evidence |url=https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2022/04/04/russias-bucha-facts-versus-the-evidence/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=bellingcat |language=en-GB}} 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.{{Cite web |last=McGRATH |first=Stephen |date=5 April 2022 |title=US to seek Russia's suspension from Human Rights Council |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-seek-russias-suspension-human-rights-council-83865292 |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=ABC News |language=en |archive-date=4 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404152258/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-seek-russias-suspension-human-rights-council-83865292 |url-status=live }} At the time, Russia was serving a three-year elected term on the council.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=7 April 2022 |title=UN votes to suspend Russia from its Human Rights Council despite opposition |url=https://www.dw.com/en/un-votes-to-suspend-russia-from-its-human-rights-council-despite-opposition/a-61392741 |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=Deutsche Welle (DW) |language=en-GB |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408162719/https://www.dw.com/en/un-votes-to-suspend-russia-from-its-human-rights-council-despite-opposition/a-61392741 |url-status=live }}

Draft resolution A/ES-11/L.4 was introduced on 6 April 2022.{{Cite web |title=UN to Vote on Expelling Russia from Human Rights Council |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/un-to-vote-on-expelling-russia-from-human-rights-council/6517621.html |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=VOA |date=6 April 2022 |language=en |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408162720/https://www.voanews.com/a/un-to-vote-on-expelling-russia-from-human-rights-council/6517621.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |title=Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council : draft resolution |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3967723?ln=en |access-date=8 April 2022 |website=UN Digital Library |date=6 April 2022 |last1=Barbuda |first1=Antigua and |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408162721/https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3967723?ln=en |url-status=live }} 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.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-07 |title=Russia suspended from human rights council after UN general assembly vote |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/07/russia-suspended-un-human-rights-council-ukraine |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=the Guardian |language=en |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408034320/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/07/russia-suspended-un-human-rights-council-ukraine |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2011-03-01 |title=UN suspends Libya from Human Rights Council |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20110301-united-nations-suspends-libya-human-rights-council-general-assembly-protesters |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=26 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526052909/https://www.france24.com/en/20110301-united-nations-suspends-libya-human-rights-council-general-assembly-protesters |url-status=live }} 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.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-07 |title=Russia threatens states with consequences over UN vote on Human Rights Council |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/russia-threatens-states-with-consequences-over-un-vote-on-human-rights-council/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=www.euractiv.com |language=en-GB |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408162720/https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/russia-threatens-states-with-consequences-over-un-vote-on-human-rights-council/ |url-status=live }}

Voting

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. 58 countries abstained. With Russia's membership valid through 2023,{{cite news|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-n-general-assembly-suspends-russia-from-human-rights-council|title=U.N. General Assembly suspends Russia from Human Rights Council|first1=Edith M.|last1=Lederer|first2=Jennifer|last2=Peltz|date=April 7, 2022|access-date=April 8, 2022|agency=Associated Press|publisher=PBS|archive-date=8 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408162720/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-n-general-assembly-suspends-russia-from-human-rights-council|url-status=live}} the Russian delegation announced it had quit the Human Rights Council earlier that day in expectation of the vote.{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-nations-general-assembly-voting-rights-united-nations-linda-thomas-greenfield-6b4f311e6099315aa4efc2d5772ab80e|author=Lederer, Edith M.|last2=Peltz|first2=Jennifer|date=April 7, 2022|access-date=April 7, 2022|title=UN assembly suspends Russia from top human rights body|agency=Associated Press|work=AP News|archive-date=8 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408010207/https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-nations-general-assembly-voting-rights-united-nations-linda-thomas-greenfield-6b4f311e6099315aa4efc2d5772ab80e|url-status=live}}

File:United Nations General Assembly resolution ES-11 vote in Europe.png

class="wikitable" \|+ class="nowrap" \| Voting on Resolution ES-11/3
style="vertical-align: bottom" \|Vote ! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;" \| Tally ! style="text-align: left; vertical-align: bottom;" \| States ! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;" \| Percent of votes ! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;" \| Percent of member states
{{yes\|Approve}} \| style="text-align: right" \| 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,{{efn\|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.{{cite news \|last1=Sochan \|first1=Ry \|title=Cambodia abstains from Russian UN human rights vote \|url=https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/cambodia-abstains-russian-un-human-rights-vote \|access-date=10 April 2022 \|work=www.phnompenhpost.com \|language=en}}{{cite news \|title=Afghanistan, Myanmar to vote against Russia at UN \|url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220301-afghanistan-myanmar-to-vote-against-russia-at-un \|access-date=10 April 2022 \|work=France 24 \|date=1 March 2022 \|language=en}}}} 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 \| style="text-align: right" \| 79.49% \| style="text-align: right" \| 48.19%
{{no\|Against}} \| style="text-align: right" \| 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 \| style="text-align: right" \| 20.51% \| style="text-align: right" \| 12.44%
{{maybe\|Abstain}} \| style="text-align: right" \| 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 \| style="text-align: right" \| – \| style="text-align: right" \| 30.05%
{{tba\|Absent}} \| style="text-align: right" \| 18 \| Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Turkmenistan, Venezuela,{{efn\|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.{{Cite web \|date=27 February 2022 \|title=Letter dated 27 February 2022 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the General Assembly \|url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3958982 \|language=en \|last1=Guterres \|first1=António \|access-date=8 April 2022 \|archive-date=6 March 2022 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306141748/https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3958982 \|url-status=live }}}} Zambia \| style="text-align: right" \| – \| style="text-align: right" \| 9.33%
style="text-align: left" \| Total ! style="text-align: right" \| 193 !– ! style="text-align: right" \| 100% ! style="text-align: right" \| 100%
colspan="5" \|Source: [https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3967778?ln=en A/RES/ES-11/3 voting record] {{notelist}}

class="wikitable"

|+ class="nowrap" | Voting on Resolution ES-11/3

style="vertical-align: bottom" |Vote

! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;" | Tally

! style="text-align: left; vertical-align: bottom;" | States

! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;" | Percent of votes

! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;" | Percent of member states

| style="text-align: right" | 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,{{efn|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.{{cite news |last1=Sochan |first1=Ry |title=Cambodia abstains from Russian UN human rights vote |url=https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/cambodia-abstains-russian-un-human-rights-vote |access-date=10 April 2022 |work=www.phnompenhpost.com |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Afghanistan, Myanmar to vote against Russia at UN |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220301-afghanistan-myanmar-to-vote-against-russia-at-un |access-date=10 April 2022 |work=France 24 |date=1 March 2022 |language=en}}}} 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

| style="text-align: right" | 79.49%

| style="text-align: right" | 48.19%

| style="text-align: right" | 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

| style="text-align: right" | 20.51%

| style="text-align: right" | 12.44%

| style="text-align: right" | 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

| style="text-align: right" | –

| style="text-align: right" | 30.05%

| style="text-align: right" | 18

| Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Turkmenistan, Venezuela,{{efn|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.{{Cite web |date=27 February 2022 |title=Letter dated 27 February 2022 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the General Assembly |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3958982 |language=en |last1=Guterres |first1=António |access-date=8 April 2022 |archive-date=6 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306141748/https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3958982 |url-status=live }}}} Zambia