Russia not elected to one of UN principal organs, Kuleba says

Russia has not been elected to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced on July 1 on X.

"This vote once again demonstrates that Russia can hit the wall as many times as it wants, but the outcome will remain the same: international criminals are not welcome in international bodies," Kuleba wrote.

ECOSOC, as well as the General Assembly, Secretariat, International Court of Justice, Security Council, and Trusteeship Council, are the main principal organs of the U.N.

The body coordinates the economic activities of the U.N. and the specialized agencies associated with it. It is the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and creating policy recommendations addressed to member states.

ECOSOC consists of 54 member states elected by the U.N. General Assembly for a three-year term, with 18 members elected annually. Ukraine has been repeatedly elected as a member of the body.

"Our dedication to upholding the U.N. Charter's Purposes and Principles remains unwavering. We continue to advance these goals with the steadfast support of our international partners," Kuleba said.

Russia also failed to win back its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council last October.

Moscow attempted to compete with Albania and Bulgaria for the Human Rights Council's two open eastern European seats. Russia was kicked out of the U.N.'s human rights body during a special session on April 7, 2022, shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has committed a number of human rights violations during its all-out war against Ukraine.

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The Kyiv IndependentNate Ostiller