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Throughout all 1,000 days, Ukraine has used all available political and diplomatic levers within the framework of the UN to oppose a full-scale Russian invasion, says Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN.
He answered a question from Ukrinform’s own correspondent in New York about the role and capabilities of the UN in the context of Ukraine’s ongoing fight.
Kyslytsya emphasized that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “plays a key role in this process” and spoke seven times at Security Council meetings and addressed the UN General Assembly three times. In his speeches, the president emphasized the need to hold Russia accountable for the crime of aggression and war crimes, as well as the need to achieve peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter and international law.
Kyslytsya noted that with the joint efforts of Ukraine and its partners, during an emergency meeting of the Security Council in February 2022, it was decided to convene an Extraordinary Special Session of the UN General Assembly, since the Security Council itself was paralyzed by Russia, which had captured the place of the Soviet Union as a permanent member and has been exploiting the right of veto.
The extraordinary session of the General Assembly adopted six historic resolutions, and more than 140 countries (a total of 193 UN members) voted for four of them, the ambassador recalled.
The names of the adopted documents, he noted, speak for themselves. They addressed aggression against Ukraine, humanitarian consequences of aggression against Ukraine, suspension of the membership rights of the Russian Federation in the UN Human Rights Council, territorial integrity of Ukraine: protection of the principles of the UN Charter, promoting compensation and reparations for aggression against Ukraine, principles of the UN Charter that underlie a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine.
In addition, the General Assembly annually adopts resolutions regarding the violation of human rights in the temporarily occupied territories, in particular in Crimea, which has “extremely important political and international legal significance.” The GA also voted for the resolution “Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia NPP.”
Kyslytsya said that in March 2022, the Group of Friends on Accountability for Aggression against Ukraine was founded, which includes 50 states and the EU. The Group of Friends serves as a forum for states working to hold Russia accountable for international crimes committed as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Every year in September, during the general policy debates of the UN General Assembly, the Group of Friends holds an event at the level of foreign ministers on the issue of holding the aggressor accountable.
For the second year in a row, the Russian armed forces have been included by the UN Secretary-General in the so-called list of shame (addendum to the annual report on children in armed conflicts) for killing and maiming children, as well as attacks on schools and hospitals in Ukraine.
“This is an important achievement,” Kyslytsya said, “because such a decision by the General Secretary is unprecedented. Throughout history, a member of the UN Security Council, let alone a permanent member, has never been included in the list of malicious actors.” According to the diplomat, it usually includes “the worst of the worst” – the Taliban, ISIS, Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda, Mai-Mai.
In May 2022, the UN and the Ukrainian government signed a framework document aimed at preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence. Based on that paper, an action plan has been developed, which is being implemented. A number of UN bodies actively help the government of Ukraine in matters of prosecution of perpetrators, support for victims, conducting appropriate training for investigators, prosecutors, and judges, providing technical, expert, and communication support.
Ukraine is a founding state of the UN and has been a member of the organization since 1945. After Ukraine declared independence, its participation in the activities of the UN was recognized as one of the priority directions of the state’s foreign policy. Ukraine was elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council four times, including twice during independence (2000-2001 and 2016-2017).
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