Following Russia’s suspension due to charges of horrendous rights violations by the Russian military in Ukraine, the United Nations General Assembly will vote on a country to replace it on the world organization’s leading human rights committee on May 11.
The Czech Republic was the lone candidate for a seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council, according to Assembly spokeswoman Paulina Kubiak. Regional groups compete for seats on the Geneva-based council, and a replacement for Russia must come from an East European country.
United Nations to vote
Russia’s deputy ambassador, Gennady Kuzmin, told U.N. members that Russia withdrew from the Human Rights Council before the vote after the General Assembly suspended Russia. According to Council spokesperson Rolando Gomez, Russia avoided losing its observer status at the rights group by withdrawing.
Russia has been kicked off the executive boards of UN Women and the United Nations Children’s Fund, as well as the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, since its February 24 invasion of Ukraine. Russia was also expelled from the World Tourism Organization this week.