Remarks by the representative of the Ukrainian delegation during the interactive dialogue with the Director of the New York Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mr. Craig Mokhiber

Remarks by the representative of the Ukrainian delegation during the interactive dialogue with the Director of the New York Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mr. Craig Mokhiber

Remarks by the representative of the Ukrainian delegation during the interactive dialogue with the Director of the New York Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mr. Craig Mokhiber

I would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Mokhiber for presenting the latest UN Secretary-General’s Report ‘Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine’, which was submitted pursuant to the UN General Assembly Resolution 75/192 under the same title.

It is encouraging that the Secretary-General and the Monitoring Mission on Human Rights in Ukraine maintain monitoring activities regarding the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and we still hope that the Mission will be granted unimpeded access to Crimea by the Russian Federation as an Occupying power in accordance with the international humanitarian law. We consider the Report as yet another effort of the international community to de-occupy Crimea, as envisaged in the Joint Declaration of the International Crimea Platform Participants adopted on August 23, 2021 in Kyiv.

I regret, however, that as reported the Russian Federation has not halted its blatant illegal actions in the temporarily occupied Crimea contrary to the international law, including the international humanitarian law, as well as resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Its occupation authorities continue repressive practices against Ukrainian citizens, who seek to enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms in full.

The fate of Ukrainian citizens in Crimea including those detained and deprived of their rights and freedoms by the Russian Federation constitutes deep concern. In view of the above and based on the UNSG’s Reports on the issue, the delegation of Ukraine will present an updated text of the draft resolution ‘Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine’ and calls on all Member States to support it.

I reiterate also the call on the Russian Federation to abide by its international obligations, implement all relevant resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nation including the most recent ones 75/192 and 75/29.