After getting kicked off the Human Rights Council over its invasion of Ukraine last year, Russia is reportedly attempting to get its seat on the United Nations body back.
According to the BBC, Russian diplomats distributed position papers to United Nations members campaigning to be re-elected for a three-year term when the vote takes place next month.
In the document seen by the BBC, Russia promises to find "adequate solutions for human rights issues" and seeks to stop the council becoming an "instrument which serves political wills of one group of countries", understood to be a reference to the West.
Diplomats said Russia was hoping to regain some international credibility after being accused of human rights abuses in Ukraine and within its own borders.
The latest evidence of those abuses was presented to the human rights council on Monday in a report from its Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.
Erik Mose, chair of the commission, said there was continuing evidence of war crimes including torture, rape and attacks on civilians.
A separate report two weeks ago by the UN's special rapporteur for Russia, Mariana Katzarova said the human rights situation in Russia had also "significantly deteriorated", with critics of the invasion subjected to arbitrary arrest, torture and ill treatment. (BBC)
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U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller responded to the news during a press conference on Tuesday.
"The Secretary of State clearly stated that we have seen Russia commit war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine," he told reporters. "We have made it clear that there should be accountability for the crimes they committed, and therefore, of course, I believe that representation in a body that deals with human rights is not consistent with their actions in Ukraine."
Moscow is reportedly attempting to bribe smaller countries with grain and arms in exchange for their votes, so diplomats believe it's quite possible Russia regains its seat.
UN Watch's Hillel Neuer blasted the prospect, though it would be par for the course at the United Nations if it does happen.
BBC just reported Russia is aggressively lobbying for a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council, offering small countries grain and arms in return for their votes.
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) September 26, 2023
For God's sake, we can't have war criminal Vladimir Putin as a world judge of human rights.https://t.co/M0TYHzfVM9
My letter in today's @WSJ: “Russia is running for a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council. When Col. Qaddafi's Libya was made chair of the former U.N. Human Rights Commission in 2003, that proved its death knell. If Vladimir Putin wins, its successor body may meet the same fate.” pic.twitter.com/8SI5j6fmPS
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) September 25, 2023
History will record that the Butcher of Tehran addressed the United Nations today and not a single democracy said or did anything about the fact that his regime—which beats, blinds, tortures and rapes women protesters—is to be Chair of the U.N. Human Rights Council Social Forum. pic.twitter.com/B5oabEDtZh
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) September 20, 2023
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