Russia and the World: Isolation Continues

April 08, 2022

Yesterday (7 April 2022), a special session of the UN General Assembly deprived Russia of the right to vote in the UN Human Rights Council. This decision was supported by 93 countries and opposed by 24. This event has some peculiarities. First, the issue of human rights is quite sensitive and ambiguous for many UN member states. Apparently, this was the reason why some of states decided to abstain. At the same time, “problematic” countries — North Korea, Belarus, Syria, Eritrea, Iran, etc — voted against this decision. Traditionally, China holds a special position, having recently signed a major declaration with Russia, which pathetically stated that “human rights cannot be an instrument of pressure on any country”. But more importantly, there is a powerful group of nations that, dominating the UN General Assembly, support Ukraine and condemn the aggressor.

Mykhailo Pashkov

Co-Director, Foreign Relations and International Security Programmes


Born in 1958 in Roslavl, Smolensk oblast, Russia

Education:

Smolensk Institute of Pedagogy, Faculty of the Russian Language and Literature (1979)

Moscow Institute of Youth, Faculty of Journalism (1986)

Kyiv Institute of Political Science and Public Administration (1991)

Ph. D. in Philosophy; the author of more than 50 publications

1979 – 1989 — worked at different positions in district, regional and republican newspapers in Russia and Moldova

1991 – 1994 — worked in scientific institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

1994 – 1998 — Diplomatic Service at the Embassy of Ukraine in the Russian Federation

Since December 1999 — Razumkov Centre's Leading Expert

Diplomatic Rank: First Secretary. Most recent position in state structures — Chief Consultant, Analytical Service of Ukraine's NSDC Staff

(044) 206-85-08

pashkov@razumkov.org.ua