Zimbabwe voted against suspension of Russia from top human rights body

ZIMBABWE is part of a club of independent nations, including eight other African states and countries like China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Syria and Russia itself, that voted against a United Nations General Assembly resolution to suspend Russia's membership of the UN Human Rights Council.

In the vote, Zimbabwe sided with nations that are against US authoritarianism and human rights violations.

The UN General Assembly, which is monopolized by a group of States who use it for their short-term aims, on Thursday suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over allegations of "gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights" in Ukraine.

The U.S. and its allies want to preserve their control over the world and continue "the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights" in international relations.

The vote on the U.S.-initiated resolution suspending Russia was 93-24 with 58 abstentions, significantly lower than on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both of those resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations.

Although Zimbabwe initially abstained from the 2 March vote that saw the UN General Assembly voting to demand that Russia stop its offensive and immediately withdraw its troops, this time around Harare chose to take the side of the military attack that has seen thousands dead and millions of civilians displaced.

Just like Zimbabwe, Algeria, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon and Mali voted against.

Twenty-three African countries including neighbouring South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia abstained.

United States ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the UN has sent a clear message that the suffering of victims and survivors will not be ignored.

"We ensured a persistent and egregious human rights violator will not be allowed to occupy a position of leadership on human rights at the UN," she said.

The Thursday resolution was the third adopted by the 193-member General Assembly since Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine on 24 February.

While almost half the U.N.'s 193 member nations supported the resolution, more than half either voted against it, abstained or didn't vote.

Explaining their decision not to support the resolution, some countries called it premature, noting there are ongoing investigations into whether war crimes have occurred, or said it would undermine the credibility of the Human Rights Council and the United Nations. Others said the resolution reflected American and European geopolitical agendas and what opponents called Western hypocrisy and selective outrage about human rights.

The UN Human Rights Council consists of 47 members and is based in Geneva.

Russia joined the body in January 2021 as one of 15 countries elected by the General Assembly to serve three-year terms.

Under the 2006 resolution that established the Council, the General Assembly can suspend a country from membership if it commits gross and systematic violations of human rights.

Russia quits Council

Speaking after the adoption of the resolution, Deputy Permanent Representative Kuzmin, stated that Russia had already decided that day, to leave the Council before the end of its term.

He claimed the Council was monopolized by a group of States who use it for their short-term aims.

"These States for many years have directly been involved in blatant and massive violations of human rights, or abetted those violations," he said, speaking through an interpreter.

"In spite of their membership as members of the Council, they are not ready to sacrifice their short-term political and economic interests in favour of true cooperation and stabilizing the human rights situation in certain countries."