Ukraine EOV
Mr. President,
Ukraine has always considered the Inter-Parliamentary Union as an oldest, unique and authoritative inter-parliamentary institution. Institution which, according to its Statute, works for peace and cooperation among peoples and shares the objectives of the United Nations, supports its efforts and works in close interaction with it.
Ukraine is a country where the Parliament plays a key role, fully aware of its heavy responsibility not only for its own country, but also for the international and regional peace and security. Since the accession to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Ukraine has always proceeded from the imperative of respect of international law, as well as of ensuring strict implementation by all member-states of this oldest international Parliamentary institution of their statutory commitments and obligations.
Mr. President,
At its October 2016 session in Geneva, the IPU Governing Council took the decision to accept the invitation of the Parliament of the Russian Federation to hold the 137th IPU Assembly in St. Petersburg in October 2017.
Such a decision was taken against the background of the brutal military aggressions being committed by the Russian Federation against its neighbours, which, in our case, led to the temporary occupation of parts of Ukraine. It is now committing acts of aggression in the Ukrainian Donbass, Syria, with all the hallmarks of the war crimes, and, most recently, even in the United Kingdom.
That is why the mentioned decision on the venue of the 137th IPU Assembly seriously undermined the credibility of the Inter-Parliamentary Union as an organization based on such principles and values as rule of law, human rights, democracy, non-use of force or threat of force in contravention to international law and the UN Charter, non-recognition of any territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use force, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of its members. It also put into question the IPU commitment to act in line with the UN objectives.
Therefore, the delegation of Ukraine disassociates itself from the consensus on the just adopted UNGA Resolution (“Interaction between the United Nations, national parliaments and the Inter-Parliamentary Union”).
I thank you.