Tomorrow begins the @OPCW Executive Council (EC) meeting. One topic will be the poisoning of Alexei Navalny by Russia, using a Novichok agent. I have a new project to track adverse votes or abstentions in the EC that amount to siding with Moscow. Some preliminary results: 1/
Who are the adverse voters currently on the EC that have previously sided with Russia? Those that have voted with Moscow since voting data was made available in 2018 include:
-Algeria
-China
-Iran
-Pakistan
-Russia
-S. Africa
-Sudan
2/
-Algeria
-China
-Iran
-Pakistan
-Russia
-S. Africa
-Sudan
2/
Who abstains in EC votes? A growing number of abstentions has helped contribute to deadlock during EC votes over matters such as budgets, programs of work, agendas, & decisions to enforce the CWC:
-Algeria
-Argentina
-Bangladesh
-Brazil
-Cameroon
-Chile
-Ghana
-India
-Kenya
3/
-Algeria
-Argentina
-Bangladesh
-Brazil
-Cameroon
-Chile
-Ghana
-India
-Kenya
3/
(cont& #39;d)
-Morocco
-Nigeria
-Pakistan
-Saudi Arabia
-S. Africa
-Senegal
-Sudan
-UAE
These countries may have diplomatic reasons for abstaining, such as not to push Russia too hard, but the practical effect is to permit Moscow& #39;s obstruction of OPCW votes.
4/
-Morocco
-Nigeria
-Pakistan
-Saudi Arabia
-S. Africa
-Senegal
-Sudan
-UAE
These countries may have diplomatic reasons for abstaining, such as not to push Russia too hard, but the practical effect is to permit Moscow& #39;s obstruction of OPCW votes.
4/
Countries need to vote with the free world against Moscow& #39;s brazen & thuggish use of chemical weapons against state enemies + to uphold international laws and norms.
For more on how to hold Russia accountable, see @gregkoblentz & me @TheHillOpinion: https://thehill.com/opinion/international/518151-hold-russia-accountable-for-latest-chemical-weapons-attack">https://thehill.com/opinion/i... 5/
For more on how to hold Russia accountable, see @gregkoblentz & me @TheHillOpinion: https://thehill.com/opinion/international/518151-hold-russia-accountable-for-latest-chemical-weapons-attack">https://thehill.com/opinion/i... 5/
For more on how @FDD is tracking international organizations and measures by U.S. adversaries to hijack these orgs or their work, see recent publications under our new program page at: https://www.fdd.org/projects/international-organizations-program/">https://www.fdd.org/projects/... 6/