US, Ukraine vote against anti-Nazism UNGA resolution
The United States, which has long championed "human rights," voted against a resolution to combat the glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism, and xenophobia.
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The UNGA Hall is empty at United Nations Headquarters, in New York, US September 20, 2021 (Reuters)
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Thursday a resolution proposed by Russia and more than 30 other countries to condemn Nazism, neo-Nazism, and other racist practices.
The resolution was part of two draft resolutions taken from the report on "Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance."
The resolution was well accepted among the member states, with 130 votes in favor. However, what was quite controversial, is the fact that the country constantly "championing human rights," the United States, voted against the resolution that would combat the glorification of numerous racist practices, such as Nazism and neo-Nazism.
The United States and Ukraine were the only two states to vote against the resolution. The resolution recorded an earth-shattering 49 abstentions, mostly coming from Europe, where racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia are rampant. Other countries that abstained included Japan, South Korea, and Canada.
The Assembly then adopted the draft resolution, "Combatting glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism, and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance."
The UNGA expressed deep concern about the glorification of the Nazi movement, neo-Nazism, and former members of the Waffen SS organization - the military branch of the Nazi party - including the erection of monuments and memorials, holding public demonstrations to glorify the Nazi past, movement, or neo-Nazism.
The Assembly also expressed its disapproval of any attempts to glorify those who fought against the anti-Hitler coalition, collaborated with the Nazi movement, and committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
US: no support for the right to self-determination
The Assembly also took up the report on the "Right of peoples to self-determination."
The draft resolution recorded 168 votes in favor; however, 5 votes against, which included "Israel" and the United States, as well as 10 absentations.
The resolution passed, and the UNGA adopted it and urged all states and UN specialized agencies and organizations to continue supporting the Palestinian people in the early realization of their right to self-determination, affirming their right to doing so and their right to their independent state of Palestine. This came after the Assembly adopted the draft resolution "The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination."
