Moscow-Sana
Russia has announced that it retains observer state status in the United Nations Human Rights Council despite the United Nations General Assembly's vote to suspend its membership in it.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said in an interview with RIA Novosti today: "The observer status gives Moscow powers similar to those enjoyed by member states of the Council, including the right to put forward initiatives, participate in negotiating draft resolutions, make statements and issue statements," stressing that his country She prevented harming her rights in the work of this body in the future by adopting the decision to suspend her membership early in the Human Rights Council.
Vershinin pointed out that the suspension of Libya's membership in the council in 2011 resulted in depriving the representatives of this country of all their powers in it, including the right to participate in decision-making, vote, express their views on issues on the agenda and prepare and issue any statements, noting that the Libyan delegation was not allowed to Only by attending meetings.
Vershinin said: “Had Russia agreed on the 7th of April to the Libyan scenario, we would have already incurred a similar loss of rights for the remaining year and a half of our membership in the Human Rights Council, and it would have been given the role of a silent witness, nothing more.”
"We will be able to inform the international community, even in more complex circumstances, of Russia's positions on urgent international issues," Vershinin added.