The United Nations Office at Geneva
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HRC57 - Human Rights in Ukraine - 08 October 2024
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14:19
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MP4
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897.9 MB
Speakers:
- Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - Please, see attached PDF for V. Türk oral update on the findings in the report of OHCHR on human rights situation in Ukraine.
- Ms. Yevheniia Filipenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, gave his oral update on the findings in the report of OHCHR on human rights situation in Ukraine and statement of Ms. Yevheniia Filipenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Office at Geneva at the Interactive Dialogue (ID) at the 57th Session of the Human Rights Council.
Teleprompter
Excellence is distinguished.
Colleagues.
We will continue with the meeting and we will now hold the interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in Ukraine.
The list of speakers will close in 15 minutes.
I now give the floor to Mr Folker Turk, **** Commissioner for Human Rights, to provide an oral update.
Please.
You have the floor, Mr Vice President.
Excellence is distinguished, delegates.
We are approaching 1000 days since the Russian Federation's full scale armed attack on Ukraine, a period marked by massive destruction, death and injury, displaced and tormented families, and widespread violations of international law.
This war has quickly become a tragic, flagrant example of the devastation of war on people, the environment, and a common future, leaving a legacy of trauma and loss for generations to come.
July 2024 was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since October 2022.
Between June and August, my office verified 45% more civilian casualties than in the previous three month.
This increase is due to the 8 July large scale coordinated attack by the Russian Federation against targets across Ukraine, continued missile, drone and aerial bomb strikes, and continuing assaults by Russian armed forces seeking to capture further Ukrainian territory.
At the same time, insidious violations of international rights and humanitarian law continue in places of detention hidden from the view of independent monitors.
The prohibition of torture under international law is absolute, and yet patterns of widespread and systematic torture and I'll treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war at the hands of Russian captors have been recounted to my office across internment facilities in numerous regions within occupied territory and the Russian Federation.
Since March 2023, when my office last issued a report on the treatment of prisoners of war, we have interviewed 174 Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Almost all of them have provided detailed and consistent accounts of torture or I'll treatment in custody of Russian forces throughout all stages of captivity.
Instances of torture are taking place on a daily or weekly basis.
Minimum safeguards, which are meant to help prevent torture, such as allowing prisoners to communicate with the outside world, accessed by independent monitors or routine medical exams, have been absent or ineffective.
The evidence gathered also suggests involvement of facility supervisors and significant coordination among various entities of the Russian Federation, such as the Federal Security Service and the Federal Penitentiary Service.
In a few cases, when external officials visited places of internment, the torture and I'll treatment temporarily ceased and conditions improved, an indication that the authorities were aware of these practises.
Dehumanising rhetoric has continued by public figures in the Russian Federation calling for inhumane treatment and even execution of Ukrainian Pows.
And Russian service persons benefit from broad amnesty laws that fuel impunity.
Torture and I'll treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war must end.
Perpetrators of this horrific practise must be held to account.
Mr Vice President, roughly half of the 205 Russian PO WS we interviewed since March 23 reported torture or I'll treatment by Ukrainian authorities, with 10 PO WS reporting sexual violence.
This generally took place during the initial stages of their captivity, where Russian PO WS were held in transit places for several days.
In nearly all cases, the torture and I'll treatment stopped when prisoners arrived at official places of internment where conditions generally met international standards.
I encourage Ukraine to ensure that PO WS are treated in accordance with international law at all stages of their captivity.
Access to places of internment has enabled my office to engage directly with the Ukrainian authorities and has encouraged an improvement in conditions which needs to be sustained.
Mr Vice President, the Russian Armed Forces continued their systematic attacks on Ukrainian critical energy infrastructure, launching at least four major waves of attacks over three months, increasingly against power generation facilities.
These attacks have significantly decreased Ukraine's power generation capacity.
People already experienced rolling blackouts over the summer, and the situation risks deteriorating over the brutal winter period when demand increases.
This is a vicious way of harming civilians, especially in a heavily urbanised country like Ukraine with centralised electricity and heating systems.
Electricity is nothing short of a lifeblood for hospitals otherwise forced to rely on backup generators for heating and water supply at homes, for elevators.
Critical critical to enabling older people or people with disabilities to reach their apartments, for treating groundwater to avoid spread spread of infectious diseases.
This harm is entirely foreseeable, avoidable and unacceptable.
It must cease.
Mr Vice President, before I close, I wish to draw attention to a less visible side of this conflict.
It's pernicious damage to and cost on the environment.
The war is steadily poisoning land and natural habitats in Ukraine, contaminating air, groundwater and soil, including that use for agriculture.
Active fighting near nuclear power stations and attacks on related infrastructures increase the risk of nuclear instability and accidents, which could have serious transporter consequences.
Scientists warn that conflict can remake ecosystems entirely, the full consequences of which are far from unknown in Ukraine.
Efforts to seek accountability and towards peace must also take full account of these concerns in light of their deeply damaging long term effect on Ukrainians today and future generations.
Mr Vice President, the facts of this terrible war are laid bare, exposed and recorded on a daily basis by my team on the ground and many others.
I welcome the access and cooperation that Ukraine continues to provide to my team and look forward to the timely renewal of the presence of my office.
My office has pursued access to territory occupied by the Russian Federation and all affected areas in the Russian Federation to be able to document and monitor the human rights situation.
I regret that the Russian Federation has not granted such access until now.
Independent access is the window to establishing facts in war and to ensuring better protection of civilians.
It serves no one in this war for disinformation and propaganda to spread, nor in any other conflict in the world.
I urge the Russian Federation once again to meet its international obligations and to seize its armed attack immediately.
Thank you, thank you.
According to our practise, we shall start by hearing from the delegations of the countries concerned.
I know that the Russian Federation does not wish to take the floor as the country concerned.
I give the floor to the distinctive representative of Ukraine.
Thank you, Mr Vice President, as we mark the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, we are witnessing a grave breach by the Russian Federation of every provision of these documents in my country.
The **** Commissioner's Update and the Office's report provide ample evidence of this fact.
Moreover, through its recent spike in missile terror against Ukrainian people in our critical infrastructure, Russia continues to trample on the UN Charter and international law.
Time and again, Russia shows no regard for human life, mercilessly striking at the heart of our most vulnerable infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools and energy supplies.
With winter approaching, it seeks to plunge every Ukrainian Into Darkness and cold by taking our hydropower plants and energy facilities.
Russia also continues to expose the whole world to a nuclear ******, in complete disregard to the fact that any critical incident in the energy system of Ukraine can lead to a nuclear disaster.
Russia's war takes a devastating toll on the lives of millions of Ukrainian children, putting them in grave danger of physical and emotional harm.
Forcible transfers and deportations.
Camps for political indoctrination.
Military training, Illegal adoption.
The Russian occupation has turned their worst nightmares into reality.
The series of everyday tragedies in Ukraine demonstrate Russia's intent to maintain and dangerously **** level of ****** to civilians, treating them as priority targets of its war strategy.
These same motives guide the Russian military command to issue orders for executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
We reiterate that any summer execution constitutes a war crime and it shall not be subject to any statute of limitations.
Ukraine will persist in seeking justice until all perpetrators are held accountable.
**** Commissioner, we value the particular attention drawn by the OHCHR to the drastic situation of Ukrainian PO WS and civilian detainees in Russia's captivity.
We encourage the **** Commissioner to pursue its demands for full and unimpeded access to all Ukrainians, both in the territory of the Russian Federation and in temporarily occupied churches of Ukraine, to ensure their humane and dignified treatment in line with IHL.
They must be protected from non-stop torture and I'll treatment.
We call upon the OHCH and relevant human rights procedures to continue thorough monitoring and documenting Russia's numerous human rights violations in the sphere of freedom of religion and belief through systematic repressions against religious communities which are non aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church or deemed disloyal to the Russian occupation authorities in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.
While Ukraine takes all necessary measures provided by law and in conformity with its international obligations to protect the rights and freedoms of all citizens of Ukraine, Russia continues to weaponize religion and use its Orthodox Church to justify and sanctify war of aggression against Ukraine and to infringe upon the spiritual independence of Ukraine.
Distinguished delegates.
How many more days will Ukrainians spend under the constant threats of their lives as Russia spares neither children, the elderly, sick animals, nor any other life?
How many more hours of air alerts will echo through Ukrainian cities?
The world's firm stance today plays a tremendous role in saving lives and protecting human rights through concerted efforts towards ending Russia's war.
We are grateful to all those who support Ukraine's legitimate defensive actions.
With decisive and swift decisions.
Russia must be forced to seek peace, and not at Ukraine's expense, but a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the principles of the UN Charter and Ukraine's peace formula, with full respect of international law and Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognised borders.
While we know the presence of Putin, Putin's envoy who is attending this meeting with the instructions to spread falsehoods, we have doubts that he will send a telegram to the Kremlin conveying strong demands of the international community for Russia to hold its unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine.
We also doubt that the cameras that they have brought will show to the Russian public the truth about Russia's war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Ukraine and its people.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now invite interested delegations to ask questions and to make comments on the oral update provided by the **** Commissioner.
The speaking time is one minute, 30 seconds for all.
I give the floor to Her Excellency, Miss Maria Malmer Stenegard, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, on behalf of group of countries.
Thank you, Mr.
President, I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the Nordic Baltic countries.
Russia S war of aggression.
Against Ukraine.