SWC Applauds US Ambassador to UN “Historic and Appropriate” Call to Suspend Russia From United Nations Human Rights Council

April 4, 2022

World Heritage Conference Must Also Be Removed from Russia, Wiesenthal Center demands   

The Simon Wiesenthal Center applauds US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s call to suspend Russia from the UN’s Human Rights Council following evidence of war crimes committed against Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invading army.   

“In close coordination with Ukraine, European countries and other partners at the UN, the United States is going to seek Russia’s suspension from the UN Human Rights Council,” said Thomas-Greenfield, speaking at a press conference in Bucharest, Romania during a trip to the war-torn region.  “We cannot let a Member State that is subverting every principle we hold dear to continue to sit on the UN Human Right’s Council.” 

“We applaud Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield’s historic and appropriate demand that Russia be suspended from the UN Human Rights Council as it commits war crimes against the Ukrainian people,” said Eric J. Greenberg, SWC’s Director of United Nations Relations and Strategic Partnerships.  “The horrific and ruthless mass murders in Bucha, Ukraine that we saw over the weekend makes it clear that Russia’s continued participation on the Human Rights Council is a ‘farce’, as the Ambassador said. We agree that Russia cannot be permitted  to use its seat on the Human Rights Council to continue to spout propaganda.” 

Greenberg pointed to new media reports of mass graves of Ukrainian civilians that evoke the mass murder of Jews in Ukraine during the Holocaust. 

“This is why an organization bearing the name of Simon Wiesenthal cannot be silent or rest until the attacks and killing of Ukrainian civilians stop, and the murderers be brought to justice.”  

Meanwhile, SWC continues to demand that a June world conference on protecting cultural and natural heritage sites slated for Kazan, Russia be relocated immediately.  

"SWC is calling on all member-states to agree that the conference be moved to the Paris headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)," stated Dr. Shimon Samuels, SWC’s Director for International Relations. 

Samuels said if UNESCO officials don't change the venue, “the Wiesenthal Center would not be attending.”

SWC is an NGO to UNESCO and the only Jewish organization accredited to the World Heritage Committee.

The World Heritage Convention is charged with addressing the protection of world cultural and natural heritage sites.  

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The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).