New Delhi: India on Tuesday, April 4, abstained in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on a resolution that extended the mandate of the investigation into alleged war crimes by Russia during the ongoing Ukrainian war.
This is the fourth time that the UNHRC has voted on a matter related to Ukraine since the invasion by Russian troops. However, it is the third resolution to be adopted by the Council condemning Moscow. India has abstained from voting in all of them, just as it has on other resolutions on the Ukraine war at other UN bodies.
#HRC52 | Draft resolution A/HRC/52/L.41/Rev.1 on the situation of human rights in #Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression was ADOPTED pic.twitter.com/mIhf6Wx0SR
— UN Human Rights Council 📍#HRC52 (@UN_HRC) April 4, 2023
Sponsored by Ukraine and the West, the resolution was passed with 28 out of the 47 council members voting in favour. Only two countries, China and Eritrea, voted against it, while 17 others abstained.
After the start of the war, the UNHRC voted in February 2022 to hold an urgent debate on the human rights situation in Ukraine. India had been among the 13 countries that abstained, while 29 countries voted in favour.
Thereafter, India abstained from voting in the March 2022 resolution that established a commission of inquiry with 32 ‘yes’ votes. Then, at the UNHRC’s special session in May 2022, a resolution was passed that updated the mandate for the investigation. India took the same position once again.
Russia was expelled from the Geneva-based UNHRC by a majority of the UN General Assembly in April last year.
India’s “explanation of vote” before the voting of the resolution on Tuesday was on similar lines as earlier, with no mention or direct criticism of Russia.
“The conflict has resulted in loss of lives and countless miseries for its people, particularly for women, children and elderly, with millions becoming homeless and forced to take shelter in neighbouring countries. We reiterate our grave concerns about the reports of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure,” said counsellor, Permanent Mission of India to the UN in Geneva, Pawankumar Badhe.
He also stated that India called for the “respect for and protection of human rights of people in Ukraine and reiterate our abiding commitment to global promotion and protection of human rights”.
Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that this is not an era for war, India called for an urgent return to dialogue and diplomacy.
“International principles and jurisprudence vest responsibility on parties to the conflict to ensure that civilians and civilian infrastructure are not targeted in situations of armed conflicts. The global order that we all subscribe to, is based on International Law, the UN Charter and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states. These principles must be upheld without any exception,” he said.
India noted the global impact of the Ukraine conflict, especially the economic adversity faced by developing countries.