17 Dec 2021 9:09 am
The UN General Assembly has adopted a declaration tabled by Russia condemning Nazism, neo-Nazism and racism. The US and Ukraine voted against. Another 49 countries, mostly US allies, abstained – including Germany.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution “Combating the Glorification of Nazism, Neo-Nazism and Other Practices” That Contribute to Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance, with 130 votes. this shared the Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations on Friday.
“A plenary session of the 76th UN General Assembly endorsed the Russian-tabled declaration ‘Combating the glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance’ with 130 votes in favor -Votes, two against and 49 abstentions. “
# UNGA76 adopted 🇷🇺-initiated resolution “Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of #racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related #intolerance” with 130 votes in favor, 2 against, 49 abstentions. pic.twitter.com/wC63bhKqrj
— Russian Mission UN (@RussiaUN) December 16, 2021
A graphic with the names and voting behavior of the states is attached to the tweet from the Russian UN diplomats. The only votes against came from the USA and Ukraine. Another 49 states, most of them US allies, abstained – including Germany.
The declaration brought in by Russia and supported by more than 30 other UN members expresses concern about any form of glorification of National Socialism. This includes the erection of monuments as well as the holding of public parades in honor of Waffen SS combat units of the German military and the transfiguration of national SS legions in occupied countries into national liberation movements. The Declaration recommends that all states “in accordance with their international human rights obligation” to take appropriate and concrete measures, including in the areas of legislation and education, to revise the results of World War II and deny crimes against humanity and the To prevent war crimes committed during World War II. “
Russia has long criticized the fact that Ukraine and the three Baltic states, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, honor individuals and organizations that were associated with Nazi Germany during World War II. The declaration, supported by 130 states, consequently condemns all incidents that have to do with the heroization and propaganda of Nazism, shared a correspondent for the Russian news agency RIA Nowosti With. This also includes graffiti with relevant Nazi content on memorials to the victims of the Second World War.
The resolution also calls on member states to “eliminate all forms of racial discrimination by all appropriate means, including legislation”. It is also stated that discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion or worldview – such as “neo-Nazism, Islamophobia, anti-Christianity and anti-Semitism” – not only harms the groups concerned, but also society in general.
Since 2015 at the latest, Russia has been making similar declarations to the UN, which the USA has repeatedly rejected.
In the past year argued Washington’s envoy to the United Nations that a ban on the glorification of Nazism would violate the first amendment to the US Constitution on the protection of freedom of expression. The US also accused Moscow of wanting to use the resolution to spread “disinformation narratives” about neo-Nazism in the Baltic states and Ukraine.
more on the subject – Why is Germany abstaining from UN resolution against Nazi glorification?
