Global Geopolitical Series: Russia blocks UNSC meeting on human rights in Syria

Russia has blocked a United Nations’ Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Monday that was set to discuss the issue of human rights in Syria. While six members of the UNSC led by France called for the meeting Gennady Kuzmin, deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations dismissed the meeting saying, “We do not see any justification for this meeting since human rights is not a subject on the agenda of the Security Council”.

After French UN ambassador Francois Delattre called for the meeting saying, “Our council needs to have all necessary information to understand the crisis that it is examining, including those pertaining to human rights. And this is particularly the case in Syria”, Russian envoy asked for a procedural vote. Those who voted to hold the meeting alongside France were the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland, Holland, the United States, Peru, and Kuwait. In total eight votes were in favor of the meeting, one short of the requirement. China, Bolivia, and Kazakhstan voted with Russia to prevent the meeting, while Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Ethiopia were abstentions.