Brazil does not support Russian exclusion from international bodies and abstains at the ILO

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian government abstained on a resolution extending diplomatic isolation to Russia in the face of the military operation in Ukraine. The vote took place on March 23 at the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the resolution became a mirror of the rift between some of the main emerging countries and the Western powers about the best way to deal with the crisis.

The proposal was approved by a large majority and suspended Russia from the agency’s work and programs until a ceasefire is established in Ukraine.

But the document also revealed that some of the world’s leading economies resist the American and European project to turn Vladimir Putin into an international pariah. There were 42 votes in favor of the proposal. China and Russia voted against, and eight countries chose to abstain, among them the governments of Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, Uganda, India, Pakistan, and Cameroon.

Diplomats still considered the vote a sign of the resistance the Western powers would have to face to get Russia excluded from other international bodies. One of the abstention votes came from Indonesia, the country that will chair the G20 in 2022.

One of the main fronts of the American and European offensive is the G20. They are already lobbying Indonesia to exclude Russia from the bloc’s work. But China and other emerging economies are opposed to the initiative. At the same time, the Kremlin announced on March 23 that President Vladimir Putin intends to travel to the G20 summit at the end of the year.

At the ILO, the original document was no longer sponsored by Brazil. Almost 50 countries presented the project, including Europeans and the USA. But the text was also supported by Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, and Uruguay. But there is no support from the members of the BRICS and a significant absence from African countries.

The Brazilian government hoped that the text would be modified and that contributions from other countries would be considered. But this didn’t happen, so the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty) chose not to give its favorable vote.

In the resolution approved by the ILO, the text condemns the invasion and says that the action is “incompatible” with the objectives and purposes of the entity. It also asks Moscow to “immediately and unconditionally cease its aggression, withdraw its troops from Ukraine, and end the suffering it is inflicting on the Ukrainian people.

But one of the most controversial points refers to the request for governments to “consider taking appropriate measures to urge the Russian Federation to fully respect its duties and obligations arising from ILO membership and cease violations and abuses that impede the enforcement of labor rights in Ukraine. In other words: the adoption of sanctions and embargoes.

Another controversial issue is the proposal to “temporarily suspend ILO technical cooperation or assistance to the Russian Federation, except for humanitarian assistance purposes, until a ceasefire is agreed and a peaceful resolution is implemented.”

The resolution determines to “suspend invitations to the Russian Federation to participate in all discretionary meetings, such as technical and expert meetings, conferences, and seminars.”

The text further “demands that all parties allow safe and unhindered passage to safe destinations outside Ukraine, including for seafarers, and calls for immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for those in need.” One of the points under debate is the guarantee of labor rights for Ukrainian refugees.

In the first weeks of the war, Brazil joined the Americans and Europeans in condemning the war. The position was confirmed in votes at the UN General Assembly, Human Rights Council, and Security Council.

But faced with the offensive of Americans and Europeans to achieve total isolation of Russia, the Brazilian government opted for a new position. Last week, Itamaraty abstained from a resolution against the Kremlin at UNESCO, aligning itself with the BRICS. Now, the same pattern is being repeated at the ILO.

The Brazilian government fears that technical entities end up being hijacked by the debate about the war, and one of Itamaraty’s objectives is to keep the mandates of the specialized agencies intact. For the Europeans, however, the Brazilian posture contributes to maintaining some room for maneuver for Russia.