Explainer: Why was Russia suspended from the UN Human Rights Council, and what does it mean?

The UN General Assembly voted on Thursday (7 Apr) to suspend Russia from its human rights body over allegations of war crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, only the second time a member state has had its membership of the council suspended. In this explainer feature, TODAY took a closer look at what the suspension means for Russia and why Singapore abstained from voting on the resolution. Asst Prof Dylan Loh from NTU’s Public Policy and Global Affairs division said the suspension meant that Russia would not have been able to officially speak and vote at council meetings, though they would have been able to attend meetings. 

Dr Frederick Kliem, a research fellow and lecturer at the RSIS raised concerns about the potential polarising effect on the UN and global governance institutions, while Assoc Prof Alan Chong from RSIS said: "Singapore has taken the position which shows that you cannot force human rights standards universally and according to one measure.”

Read the article here. 

Photo: Mathias P.R. Reding / Unsplash