Russian invasion of Ukraine tops UN Human Rights Council agenda

By Lisa Schlein | Voice of America

GENEVA – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be hotly debated during the five-week U.N. Human Rights Council session that begins Monday, Feb. 28.

Heads of state and other dignitaries representing more than 140 countries will address the U.N. Human Rights Council over the next three days. Quite unusually, this high-level segment will begin with a consideration of a request from Ukraine to hold an urgent debate on the “situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression.”

The council’s president, Argentinian Ambassador Federico Villegas, told journalists in Geneva that an urgent debate can take place as soon as the 47-member body decides to do so.

“And has to make a decision according to the rules of procedure, which is a consensus or a vote with a majority of positive votes over negative votes. … We had the most recent, I am sure you are very much aware in 2020, Belarus was an urgent debate, and the killing of George Floyd was also an urgent debate,” he said.

Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth said he hoped the council would immediately address the issue if war broke out, noting the council has the capacity to help prevent war crimes.

“With respect to Ukraine, I do not see it is the council’s role to try to stop a war. That is the Security Council. But if war breaks out the council is really the leading venue to address how the war is fought and… if there are large-scale war crimes then it is the council’s role to spotlight the war crimes with the aim of deterring them,” he said.

During the session, the council will consider more than 100 reports dealing with issues such as torture, forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and arbitrary detention. The human rights records of some 50 countries in all regions will be examined. They include Myanmar, North Korea, Syria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

Human rights organizations are pressuring U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet to present a long-awaited report on China’s incarceration of more than a million Uyghurs in internment camps in Xinjiang province.

The United States, France, and Lithuania have denounced Beijing’s wide-scale repression of Uyghurs as a genocide. China vigorously denies these accusations. (VOA) – bny

 

Popular

PBBM underscores public cooperation as key to better disaster response

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterated his call on the citizenry to remain on constant alert and exercise vigilant measures at...

PBBM lauds eGov app’s impact on Filipinos, hints at upcoming features

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. recognized the indispensable role of the eGov app in fast-tracking and streamlining the digitalization of government transactions and services,...

What’s next for the Marcos admin? Key agencies tackle food security, economic dev’t post-SONA 2025

https://www.youtube.com/live/hXRnysWZ6SM?si=GGc-0MxxrP1SXsvE By Brian Campued President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has reported the situation of the country—along with his administration’s progress, gains, and challenges in the past...

PBBM lauds improvements in PH labor market

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. praised the wide-ranging achievements made by his administration on bolstering the country’s domestic labor market over...