Russia can not be saved from paying the diplomatic cost of its war in syria. The country was defeated by Hungary and Croatia in the competition for the two seats on the human rights council which was allotted to eastern European states.
The human rights campaign:
Since the formation of UN human rights council a decade ago this was the first time when one of the permanent five members of the council has failed to get elected. This was followed by campaign by the human rights groups who were opposing Russia getting elected to the HRC because of its Syrian cities bombing role.
According to a western diplomat you cannot bomb a hospital one day and then run for the Human Rights council the next day.
According to the Russian envoy, Vitaly Churkin, the countries who can beat Russia are not so much advanced in terms of international diplomacy as Russia.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia won one of the four seats reserved for the Asia-Pacific region despite Human rights groups campaigning against it for its Yemeni bombing campaign.
Action taken by the body of UN:
The 47-nation council charged by the main body of UN to protect and promote the Human rights has a 193 member general assembly who elected 14 members.
UN members states have rejected Russia’s bid for re-election to the Human Rights council. In doing so it has sent a strong message to Kremlin that it won’t support a nation who has committed so much atrocity in Syria.
As per Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, “Countries should have a chance to reject candidacies severely compromised. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia doesn’t belong on the council in light of its attach on civilians in Yemen, even though was re-elected without a competition. All members rights records would be under microscope during their time on council.”
According to UN expert at the European Council for Foreign Relations “Even though Russia deserves this defeat, but this will only increase Moscow’s contempt for the UN.”