While Brazil abstained, the WHO (World Health Organization) adopted a resolution this Thursday condemning Russia for attacks on medical facilities and health services in Ukraine and criticizing the invasion of the neighboring country. The text leaves a gap so that in the future cooperation projects with Moscow can be suspended and further excluded by the Kremlin.
The decision was adopted with the support of 88 countries. Twelve governments voted against, including Cuba, China, Syria, Russia, and North Korea. 53 countries, including Brazil, Saudi Arabia, dictatorships in the Middle East and most of Africa, chose to abstain.
Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Paraguay did not follow Brazil’s abstention and supported the project. The United States, Europe, Japan, and Canada also voted for conviction.
When the result was announced, delegations stood up to applaud the result, a rare act within the UN. Still, Western powers’ efforts to isolate Russia are losing ground, and after three months of conflict, many delegations believe the “diplomatic cancellation” could have an escalating effect. If Europeans and Americans managed to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, technical bodies and cancel cooperation projects, the option at WHO was no more radical action.
Washington and Brussels fear that, with a tougher decision, the powers won’t get enough votes to ratify the document. The election was a decision limited to condemning Russia and calling for an end to attacks on healthcare workers and care facilities.
To undermine Western pressure, the Russian government offered an alternative solution. The report called on all parties to the conflict to respect civilians and avoid attacks on hospitals. Americans and Europeans called the maneuver “cynical”.
The Syrian-backed Russian project was rejected. However, Brazil, along with 69 other countries, continued to abstain. 15 governments voted, along with Russian countries such as North Korea, Burundi, China, Iran, and Cuba. However, 66 dissenting votes prevented ratification of the text.
Brazilian statement: Action politicizes WHO and increases polarization.
At the beginning of the conflict, Brazil, which voted alongside the Americans and Europeans in resolutions condemning the Russians, began to adopt a different stance in the UN technical bodies. In the assessment of the Jair Bolsonaro government, such exclusion would complicate dialogue between the parties to the conflict and threaten international assets.
In announcing its vote this Thursday, the Itamaraty delegation made it clear that it chose not to support either resolution, considering it to politicize the debate, deepen polarization and be unnecessary.
According to the government, WHO has an important role in conflict areas and Brazil is aware of the health problems in Ukraine. However, Itamaraty makes it clear that the agency already has this mandate and does not think there is a need for a specific document for Ukraine. The government also reminds that the same gesture was not made in other warring countries.
Itamaraty also criticized the lack of transparency of the authors of the resolutions and the lack of space for negotiation. “That’s why we don’t support any of them,” Itamaraty said.
But for Europeans, Brazil’s location benefits Vladimir Putin, one of Bolsonaro’s few international allies.
Brazil was not the only country that chose to abstain. Some BRICS countries such as India and South Africa followed the same path. For example, China voted against and claimed that WHO was not the right place to address the issue of war and peace in Ukraine.
While presenting the decision, the Ukrainian delegation emphasized that the Russians committed a crime and that the health services could resume after the ceasefire was reached. The Russian government has criticized governments that support Ukraine and warned that they must “deliver drugs, not weapons”. For Moscow, there is a risk that the WHO will become politicized.
The US government has also asked the international community to pass the resolution. The American delegation at WHO said, “Russian aggression has displaced 8 million people and led to 6.4 million refugees. Until last week, there were 226 attacks on medical facilities. Since February, 3 attacks a day. Even maternity hospitals could not be saved.” .
source: Noticias
