From April 1, Russia will take the chair of the Security Council for a period of one month. This will allow Moscow to set the agenda and represent the organization in other international institutions, explains Alexander Pavlichenko, executive director of the UHSHR.
From April 1, the Russian Federation will take the chair of the UN Security Council for a period of one month. This means that the Russian Federation will have a moderator function during the meetings, Oleksandr Pavlichenko, executive director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRC), said in a commentary to Focus.
Each of the main members of the Security Council takes over the chairmanship for one month, and now it’s Russia’s turn.
“What does this mean? This presidency does not impose any excessive powers. Firstly, the Russian Federation will moderate meetings throughout the month. That is, a representative of the state [постоянным представителем России при ООН и в Совбезе с 2017 года является российский дипломат Василий Небензя. Он известен своими антиукраинскими заявлениями] says: “Now the word is given to that,” explains Pavlichenko.
Secondly, the human rights activist continues, the chairman of the meeting puts the issue to a vote and determines the order of the agenda. However, Russia’s decision will not be unanimous, because the UN Secretariat also takes part in this. That is, the Russian Federation will not be able, at its discretion, to withdraw any issues and not give them the opportunity to consider them. But it is Nebenzya who will put his signature on the documents as the head of this process.
“In fact, these functions of the chairmanship are invisible to most people. For example, Liechtenstein is in charge, then there will be Switzerland – it’s more like passing the baton,” says Pavlichenko.
But there are still certain risks. As the director of the UGSPL explains, the permanent representative of the Russian Federation as chairman will represent the UN Security Council in all other international institutions.
“That is, he will actually be able to speak with his own position. This face of Nebenzi will personify an organization that advocates for peace,” the expert says.
According to him, the Ukrainian side reacted sharply to the chairmanship of the Russian Federation in the Security Council, not because of any specific danger, but because this fact itself emphasizes the absurdity of the situation.
“The main task of the UN Security Council is to prevent military conflicts. But it turns out that a state that is an aggressor, a criminal that continues to fire on Ukrainians, becomes a moderator in such a complex process. That’s what Ukraine is against,” Focus’s interlocutor notes.
The presidency of the Russian Federation shows what the UN Security Council has become today. According to Pavlichenko, today this body is no longer capable of performing the function of preventing war crimes and aggression.
Recall that on March 3, Dmitry Polyansky, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, reposted on Twitter a fake photo with a Leopard 2A5 tank allegedly captured in Bakhmut. The post was accompanied by a photograph of the equipment with the Russian tricolor “installed” on it.
