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HRC56 HC Turk on Ukraine and Ambassador Filipenko 09JUL2024 Continuity
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- United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Ukraine
- Yevheniia Filipenko – Ukraine's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva.
Interactive Dialogue on oral presentation of the High Commissioner on Ukraine
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Ukraine and Yevheniia Filipenko – Ukraine's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva.
Situation of human rights in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol - Interim report of the Secretary-General.
Cooperation with and assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights -- oral presentation of the High Commissioner of the findings of the periodic report of OHCHR and on the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine
Teleprompter
Mister Vice president Excellence is distinguished delegates.
Yesterday's massive missile attacks across Ukraine,
including the horrifying strike
on
aid
Ukraine's largest
Children's referral hospital,
once again
lay bare
the disastrous consequences of the war waged
against Ukraine by the Russian federation.
I'm outraged
by the sight of Children
already so vulnerable in war
suffering the terror attack, suffering the the the terror of attack
while receiving medical treatment.
Appallingly,
we see this again and again
not just in Ukraine but also in Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere.
Our common humanity is lost in such instances.
It begs the
question again and again,
why the dangerous ideology of past centuries is back with such a vengeance.
After all that happened in the 20th century
and with the founding of the United Nations,
we would have thought
the world had overcome
such activistic
and perilous thinking.
These relentless daily attacks across the country
continue to aggravate the human rights situation of civilians,
causing physical harm,
destroying homes and infrastructure
and ripping families apart,
leading to long term socio-economic challenges,
including diminished access to education,
loss of livelihood and poverty.
The month of May
saw the highest monthly verified civilian
casualty number in nearly a year,
with 174 civilians killed
and 690 injured in Ukraine,
according to my team on the ground Between March and May,
436 civilians were killed
and 1760 injured, including Children,
media workers, health care workers and emergency service personnel.
The actual figure
figures are likely much higher.
These high civilian casualties are largely the result
of the ground offensive and aerial attacks,
including with powerful air dropped bombs
that took place
in Kharkiv region
and since the
10th of May.
Nearly 12,000 people were evacuated from the border regions
and several 1000 others fled their homes on their own out of fear for their lives.
Co ordinated. Large scale attacks by the Russian Federation
against Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure,
deployed through eight major waves since the 22nd of March,
have been the most extensive since the winter of 2223.
Such attacks must stop immediately.
They have targeted power generating and distribution facilities,
significantly degrading
Ukraine's capacity to generate electricity.
Millions of people across Ukraine experience daily power cuts,
often for many hours at a time,
reducing access to water supply,
mobile and Internet connectivity,
public transportation
and restricting Children's ability to study
as many in Ukraine attend school remotely
knock on effects are expected on employment, tax revenues and social protection.
Price increases are likely to affect groups in situations
of vulnerability disproportionately especially older people with low pensions,
the majority of whom are women,
persons with disabilities and people living in poverty.
But the worst is possibly yet to come,
as energy companies
and the Ukrainian authorities caution
that repeated strikes have reduced the ability
to make the necessary repairs to heat homes during winter.
Again
senseless suffering,
Mr Vice President
recently released Ukrainian prisoners of War
have provided detailed accounts of torture, ill treatment and sexual violence.
They described brutal beatings,
prolonged stress positions, electric shocks and beatings to genitals,
dog attacks and severe food deprivation.
Based on interviews with over 600 released Ukrainian civilian detainees and POWs
torture
in places of detention run by the
by the Russian Federation is widespread.
This is abominable.
I urge the Russian Federation immediately
to cease such practises to improve detention conditions,
establish mixed medical commissions
and to grant full access to my office and to independent monitors to all places
where Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees are held,
including in occupied territory.
My team in Ukraine also interviewed dozens of relatives of
POWs and civilian detainees who had not heard from their loved ones
in months or even years,
and some
no word at all.
This silence is agonising for families.
The Russian Federation must ensure in line with international law,
timely information is shared on the fate and whereabouts of
POWs and civilian detainees and allow communication with families.
My office also continued
to document
the torture and ill treatment of Russian POWs
after capture and while in transit to official places of internment,
including beatings and electric shocks.
According to our information,
the torture of Russian POWs
ceased
when the
POWs arrived in official places of internment.
The Ukrainian authorities need to investigate
these instances and ensure the treatment of
POWs at every stage is in line with international law.
I call for the complete exchange of all prisoners of war
and the unconditional release of those civilians unlawfully detained,
including in occupied territory and for their safe return.
My office stands ready
to support such efforts.
I reiterate that Children deported or transferred to
the Russian Federation must be returned immediately.
I urge the Russian Federation to provide information
to the central Tracing Agency about all Children
moved from occupied territory and to facilitate their return to their families
in government controlled territory.
Ukrainian authorities continued to convict people
on charges of collaboration activities,
including for doing work that benefited the population,
such as restoring gas supply or distributing
wood wood for heating.
Guilty verdicts were handed down in all 322 judgments
issued during the reporting period.
I welcome the guidelines recently issued by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine
seeking to ensure that prosecution of such cases is aligned with international law
and encourage implementation in full
in occupied territory.
My office has documented increased pressure
on residents to obtain Russian passports.
Many people who recently left the occupied territory, notably older people,
reported experiencing difficulties in accessing
health care without Russian citizenship.
Parents reported being under pressure to obtain Russian
passports to send their kids to school.
I recall
that compelling residents in occupied territory
to
obtain the citizenship of the occupying power
is a violation of international humanitarian law.
I now turn to the secretary general's report on the
human rights situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine,
including the autonomous republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
It highlights ongoing violations of international human rights
and international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation,
including arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and torture
and violations to the freedoms of opinion, expression,
peaceful assembly and association.
People perceived as opposing the occupation,
including bloggers, journalists, supporters of the
Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people
and pro Ukrainian activists are targeted.
This is all occurring
in a context of near impunity,
with the Russian Federation adopting laws effectively granting amnesty
to service persons for a broad range of crimes.
Mr Vice President,
The pursuit of war,
the practise of escalation
cannot become the new normal.
I urge the Russian Federation once again immediately
to seize its use of armed force against Ukraine,
withdraw its military forces from the territory of Ukraine
in line with the Order of the International Court of Justice
and scrupulously to respect international humanitarian and human rights law.
There needs to be an immediate stop to the use
of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas.
During the reporting period,
96% of civilian casualties were caused by the use of such weapons.
In such circumstances,
my office will continue
meticulously
to monitor the document and report on the ground realities of this awful war,
including in occupied territory. Accountability must be served.
War is the worst enemy of human rights. It is an aberration,
not just in the current context, but also everywhere else.
It has to be shunned.
And peace must be found in line with the United Nations Charter
and international law.
That is the most fervent wish of Ukrainians. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr High Commissioner.
According to our practise,
we will start by hearing the delegations of the countries concerned by the reports.
I see that the representative
of the Russian Federation is not in the room
and
I would now like to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ukraine.
You have five minutes,
Mister Vice President.
We extend our gratitude to the High
Commissioner for presenting the Office's comprehensive reports
which provide undeniable evidence of Russia's
heinous crimes against the Ukrainian people.
Today is yet another
difficult day for Ukraine as we mourn the victims of yesterday's terror
attack when Russia unleashed a barrage of missile strikes across my country,
resulting in the deaths of at least 38 people and injuring 170 others.
Among the targeted civilian objects was
the largest national Children's hospital,
Ahmad,
where seriously ill Children received life saving medical treatment.
In a cruel twist of fate, Russian war criminals are attacking innocent Children
who are co co courageously battling cancer.
Recent waves of bombardments have left a trail
of death and plunged millions into darkness.
This savage assault threatens to rob Ukrainians of
essential services,
casting a foreboding shadow over the approaching winter months.
Latest images of Ukrainian prisoners of war those of the coma
and civilian detainees made shortly after their release from Russian captivity
depict a chilling reality of oppression and terror.
Families, in a desperate search for answers about the fate of their loved ones,
face a deafening silence or outright denial from Russian authorities,
raising the spectre of enforced disappearances.
Amidst this
chaos,
the secretary general's interim report underscores
that the international community must not lose
sight of the human rights situation in
the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine,
including Crimea.
Russian authorities are tightening their grip on residents,
coercing them into obtaining Russian citizenship and
illegally conscripting them into the Russian army.
Those who resist Russia's occupation are systematically targeted,
as evidenced by the January judgement of the International Court of Justice
regarding the persecution of Crimean Tatars
and Ukrainians in the occupied territories.
High Commissioner We have taken careful note of the information on
alleged violation by the Ukrainian side and the recommendations in the report
which will be rigorously examined to ensure necessary
actions are taken in line with our national legislation
and international obligations.
Even in the face of blazing
aggression, Ukraine remains unwavering in its commitment to international
humanitarian and human rights law.
We demand the Russian Federation
do the same as an occupying power.
It must bear full responsibility for the human
rights catastrophe unfolding in the Ukrainian territories.
Under its temporary military control,
the hearing accounts of widespread torture and ill treatment,
including abhorrent acts of sexual violence,
must cease immediately.
Human rights and humanitarian mechanisms must be
granted full and unimpeded access without delay.
Distinguished delegates.
Two weeks ago,
the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights published
its judgement in the case of Ukraine versus Russia regarding Crimea,
recognising numerous heinous crimes committed by Russia
since the temporary occupation of Crimea in
February 2014,
including abduction and forced disappearance, unlawful detention,
torture and ill treatment of political prisoners,
violation of freedom of expression, religion and peaceful assembly,
and deprivation of property.
In the same week,
the International Criminal Court issued arrest
warrants for former Russian Defence Minister
Shu
and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Army
Gerasimov in connection with Lurched International crimes committed in Ukraine.
Both have now joined their
supreme commander in chief Putin,
who has been on the arrest warrant list as a suspect in war crimes since March 2023.
This irrefutably shows that justice is within reach.
The sooner Russian aggression and war crimes end, the faster,
just and lasting peace will be restored
as demonstrated by the global peace summit.
Over 100 states and international organisations share a vision of peace based on
the respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the UN Charter.
We urge
all UN member states to join these international efforts
to implement the principles of the Ukrainian peace formula,
the only viable path to achieving this goal.
It is imperative to stand united in condemning Russia's atrocious crimes,
demanding the immediate release of all unlawfully detained Ukrainians
and
ensuring that those responsible are held
accountable for their monstrous actions.
We must act now as every hour of every day counts.
I thank you.
Thank you.