On Tuesday, during a General Assembly election, Russia failed in its bid to regain its seat on the UN Human Rights Council. This decision came as a result of the General Assembly's prior resolution to suspend Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine. The election was held to fill two seats allocated to the Eastern European regional group on the 47-member Human Rights Council. Russia faced competition from Albania and Bulgaria.
In the secret ballot, Bulgaria secured 160 votes, while Albania received 123, leaving Russia with 83 votes. During a Security Council session the day before, Russia's UN Ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, accused the United States of leading efforts to prevent Russia from rejoining the Human Rights Council. He claimed that the United States was particularly averse to Russia's election to the council.
On the other side, US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood expressed concerns that Russia's re-election to the Human Rights Council would undermine the institution's credibility and the United Nations itself. He referred to it as an "ugly stain" on the organization.
It's important to note that in other regional races, there was no significant competition. After the ballots were cast and counted, Assembly President Dennis Francis announced the countries that were elected to serve on the Human Rights Council for three years, beginning on January 1, 2024.
These countries included Albania, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Malawi, and the Netherlands. China, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, France, and Malawi were re-elected for their second terms.