On Monday, the United States’ Ambassador to the United Nations called for Russia to be removed from the United Nations Human Rights Council.
“I am returning to New York to do two things. One: I will take this to the Security Council tomorrow morning and address Russia’s actions directly,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, according to a spokesperson. “Two: In close coordination with Ukraine, European countries and other partners at the UN, we are going to seek Russia’s suspension from the UN Human Rights Council.”
“Russia’s participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce. It hurts the credibility of the Council and the UN writ large. And it is wrong, which is why we believe it is time the UN General Assembly vote to suspend them,” Thomas-Greenfield added.
This announcement was commended by former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
“Pushing Russia off of the Human Rights Council is the right move. It should be easy for every single country to support this,” Haley tweeted. “As long as Russia sits on the council with China and Venezuela, it remains a joke and a disgrace to human rights.”
Liz Truss, the United Kingdom’s foreign secretary, also echoed the call to remove Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.
“Given strong evidence of war crimes, including reports of mass graves and heinous butchery in Bucha, Russia cannot remain a member of the UN Human Rights Council,” Truss responded. “Russia must be suspended.”
“After these appalling crimes, Russia has no place on the Human Rights Council,” Truss said during a press conference.
As Haley noted, the UN Human Rights Council is populated by several countries with appalling human rights records. In addition to Russia, China, and Venezuela, other current members include Cuba, India, Kazakhstan, Libya, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Former members include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Congo, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Uganda.
“The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe,” the organization explains. “It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention throughout the year. It meets at the UN Office at Geneva.”
“With membership on the Council comes a responsibility to uphold high human rights standards,” the council claims.
The United Nations Human Rights Council was first established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2006, and replaced the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
Ian Haworth is a writer for The Daily Wire and contributor to Morning Wire. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.