The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) voted to suspend Russia’s membership over its invasion of Ukraine with immediate effect on Wednesday in a largely symbolic move, shortly after Moscow told the agency it had decided to quit.

“The message is clear: Actions will always have consequences. Peace is a fundamental human right. Guaranteed to all. Without exception,” UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili, a Georgian whose home country was invaded by Russia in 2008, tweeted after the ballot.

More than two-thirds of UNWTO’s 160 member states backed the resolution suspending Russia’s membership.

The vote had been scheduled long before Russia announced its decision to leave the organisation, starting a process the UNWTO said would take a year to complete.

Spanish Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto, who presided over the special session of the Madrid-based body, said Russia’s invasion “injures the founding principles of the United Nations and the values represented by tourism, such as peace, prosperity and universal respect”, and called for a cessation of hostilities.