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WORLD NEWS Friday 8 april 2022
U.N. assembly suspends Russia from top human rights body

By EDITH M. LEDERER and In an appeal to some mem-
JENNIFER PELTZ ber states before the vote,
Associated Press Russia said the attempt to
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — expel it from the Human
The U.N. General Assembly Rights Council is political
voted Thursday to suspend and being supported by
Russia from the world orga- countries that want to pre-
nization’s leading human serve their dominant posi-
rights body over allega- tion and control over the
tions of horrific rights viola- world. Those nations want
tions by Russian soldiers in to continue “the politics of
Ukraine, which the United neo-colonialism of human
States and Ukraine have rights” in international rela-
called tantamount to war tions, Russia said in the doc-
crimes. ument obtained by The As-
The vote was 93-24 with 58 sociated Press, insisting that
abstentions, significantly its priority is to promote and
lower than the vote on two defend human rights, in-
resolutions the assembly ad- cluding multilaterally in the
opted last month demand- Human Rights Council.
ing an immediate cease- While the Human Rights
fire in Ukraine, withdrawal Council is based in Geneva,
of all Russian troops and its members are elected by
protection for civilians. Both A completed resolution vote tally to affirm the suspension of the Russian Federation from the the General Assembly for
of those resolutions were United Nations Human Rights Council is displayed during a meeting of the United Nations General three-year terms. Russia’s
approved by at least 140 Assembly, Thursday, April 7, 2022, at United Nations headquarters. term ends in December
nations. U.S. Ambassador Associated Press 2023. The March 2006 reso-
Linda Thomas-Greenfield lished in 2006. In 2011, Libya the credibility of the Hu- against humanity.” lution that established the
launched the campaign was suspended by the as- man Rights Council and “Russia’s actions are be- council says the assembly
to suspend Russia from its sembly when upheaval in the United Nations. Others yond the pale,” he said. may suspend membership
seat on the 47-member Hu- the North African country said the resolution reflected “Russia is not only com- rights of a country “that
man Rights Council in the brought down longtime American and European mitting human rights viola- commits gross and system-
wake of videos and pho- leader Moammar Gadhafi. geopolitical agendas and tions, it is shaking the un- atic violations of human
tos of streets in the town of While almost half the U.N.’s what opponents called derpinnings of international rights.”
Bucha strewn with corpses 193 member nations sup- Western hypocrisy and se- peace and security.” The brief resolution that
of what appeared to be ported the resolution, more lective outrage about hu- Russia’s deputy ambassa- was approved expresses
civilians after Russian sol- than half either voted man rights. Before the vote, dor Gennady Kuzmin urged “grave concern at the on-
diers retreated. The deaths against it, abstained or Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador members to vote “no.” going human rights and hu-
have sparked global revul- didn’t vote. Sergiy Kyslytsya urged as- “What we’re seeing to- manitarian crisis in Ukraine,
sion and calls for tougher Explaining their decision sembly members to keep day is an attempt by the particularly at the reports
sanctions on Russia, which not to support the resolu- the Human Rights Coun- United States to maintain of violations and abuses of
has vehemently denied its tion, some countries called cil from “sinking” and sus- its dominant position and human rights and violations
troops were responsible. it premature, noting that pend Russia, saying it has total control,” he said. “We of international humanitar-
Russia is the second coun- there are ongoing investi- committed “horrific human reject the untruthful allega- ian law by the Russian Fed-
try to have its membership gations into whether war rights violations and abuses tions against us, based on eration, including gross and
rights stripped at the rights crimes have occurred, or that would be equated staged events and widely systematic violations and
council which was estab- said it would undermine to war crimes and crimes circulated fakes.” abuses of human rights.”q

Nations to release millions of barrels of oil amid war

PARIS (AP) — The Interna- release in the group’s his- global economy from the
tional Energy Agency said tory. social and economic im-
Thursday that its member Half of that will come from pacts of an oil shock fol-
countries are releasing 60 the U.S. as part of the larger lowing Russia’s aggression
million barrels of oil from release from its strategic against Ukraine,” IEA Ex-
their emergency reserves petroleum reserve that ecutive Director Fatih Birol
on top of previous U.S. President Joe Biden an- said. “Events in Ukraine are
pledges to take aim at nounced last week. becoming more distressing
energy prices that have The IEA agreed last Friday by the day, and action by
soared since Russia invad- to add to the amount of the IEA at this time is need-
ed Ukraine. oil hitting the global mar- ed to relieve some of the
The Paris-based organiza- ket. It comes on top of the strains in energy markets.”
tion says the new commit- 62.7 million barrels that the Energy markets have been
ments made by its 31 mem- agency’s members said squeezed by surging de-
ber nations, which include they would release last mand as the global econ-
the United States and month to ease shortages. omy rebounded from the IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol speaks during the closing
much of Europe, amount to The releases show “the COVID-19 pandemic, out- media conference at the International Energy Agency (IEA)
a total of 120 million barrels determination of member pacing supply and driving ministerial meeting in Paris, Thursday, March 24, 2022.
over six months, the largest countries to protect the up prices. q Associated Press