Russia is making a bid to rejoin the United Nations human rights council in an election that will serve as a crucial test of its global reputation. The country was expelled from

the UN's leading human rights body in April last year following its military incursion into Ukraine. Now, Russian diplomats are actively campaigning to secure their country's re-election to the council for a fresh three-year term. The vote is scheduled to take place next month.

The BBC has obtained a copy of the position paper that Russia is circulating among UN member states, seeking their support. In this document, Russia commits to finding "appropriate solutions for human rights issues" and aims to prevent the council from becoming an "instrument serving the political interests of a specific group of nations," a veiled reference to Western countries.

Diplomats suggest that Russia's motive for seeking a return to the council is to regain some international credibility, especially following allegations of human rights violations in Ukraine and within its own borders.

Recent evidence of these violations was presented to the human rights council by its Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, revealing ongoing war crimes such as torture, sexual assault, and attacks on civilians.

A separate report from the UN's special rapporteur for Russia, Mariana Katzarova, published two weeks ago, highlighted a "significant deterioration" in the human rights situation in Russia. The report described arbitrary arrests, torture, and ill treatment of critics of the Ukraine invasion.

The UN human rights council, based in Geneva, consists of 47 members, each serving a three-year term. In the upcoming elections on October 10th, Russia will compete with Albania and Bulgaria for the two seats designated for central and eastern European countries.

The vote will involve all 193 members of the UN General Assembly in New York. Diplomats have reported Russia's aggressive campaign efforts, including offering small countries agricultural goods and arms in exchange for their votes. Consequently, there is a possibility that Russia may successfully regain its position on the council.

Russia's position paper, circulated within the UN, emphasizes its commitment to "promote cooperation and strengthen constructive, mutually respectful dialogue within the council to address human rights issues effectively." The core argument is that Russia would use its membership to prevent the council from becoming a tool that advances the political agenda of a specific group of nations, thereby avoiding punitive measures against governments with independent foreign policies.

Russia was suspended from the Human Rights Council in April 2022, with 93 members of the UN General Assembly voting in favor, 24 against, and 58 abstaining. In its position paper, Russia places blame on "the United States and its allies" for its removal.

However, a report this month by three advocacy groups—UN Watch, the Human Rights Foundation, and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights—deemed Russia "unqualified" for HRC membership. The report emphasized that re-electing Russia to the council while its conflict in Ukraine persists would undermine human rights and send a message that the UN is not committed to holding Russia accountable for its actions.

The UK has voiced strong opposition to Russia's bid to rejoin the Human Rights Council, citing extensive evidence of human rights abuses in Ukraine and against its own citizens. The shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, criticized the idea of Russia's return, considering it an affront to human rights and a setback for the credibility of the UN. Lammy urged the government to work closely with countries that have abstained in the past to uphold the UN's core values. Photo by U.S. Department of State from United States, Wikimedia commons.