Explanation of Vote by Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Chumakov following the UNGA Vote on the Reappointment of Volker Türk as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Madam President,
What has happened today? Instead of a unifying agenda, the Secretary-General has brought to the General Assembly yet another apple of discord.
General Assembly resolution 48/141 stipulates that the High Commissioner for Human Rights shall be a person of high moral standing and personal integrity, and shall possess expertise, including in the field of human rights, and the general knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures necessary for impartial, objective, non-selective and effective performance of the duties of the High Commissioner.
Does Mr. Türk possess these qualities? That is a rhetorical question.
We regret to note the political bias displayed both by the High Commissioner himself and by the Office he heads: they advance Western geopolitical interests under the pretext of promoting and protecting human rights.
This bias is discernible in the Office’s work on thematic issues, but it becomes particularly evident when it comes to its attempts at assessing the human rights situation in certain countries.
As for my country, the High Commissioner readily levels unfounded accusations against Russia without troubling himself to gather evidence.
Given that the process of verifying violations of international law has been completely undermined, resulting in a dramatic decline in the credibility of and confidence in information provided by the United Nations, it is hardly surprising that, as the Organization approaches its ninth decade, it has become incapable of playing any meaningful role in the settlement of conflicts.
However, Mr. Türk shows no enthusiasm when confronted with politically inconvenient issues, such as the strike on the college in Starobelsk, the tragedy in Bucha, restrictions on the rights of Russian-speaking populations abroad, the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, discrimination against canonical Orthodoxy, and restrictions on freedom of speech for journalists and human rights defenders.
As President Putin has said, the UN system has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to such violations.
While accusing Russia of being not open enough to cooperation with the United Nations, Mr. Türk and his Office tend to ignore the dozens of appeals regarding the above issues. Such bias will persist until the United Nations Secretariat fully respects the provisions of General Assembly resolution 48/141, including those concerning equitable geographical rotation.
Let me recall that, over the entire history of this mandate, representatives of Africa and Asia have each held the post of High Commissioner only once.
We regret that the compromise proposal put forward by the Russian Federation, which would have preserved the status quo until the end of this year, did not receive the necessary support.
In this regard, we note that only 71 delegations voted against our draft decision. This was a very productive discussion, and I congratulate the Office of the High Commissioner. This mandate is supported by only seventy-one delegations.
We regret that today's events have unfolded in this way. They do not serve the interests of the future of the United Nations.
Thank you.
