Statement on UNESCO’s actions and emergency assistance for Ukraine on behalf of the EU and 26 Member States – 224th Executive Board of UNESCO

I have the honour to speak on behalf of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden and candidate countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Canada,  Principality of Andorra, Principality of Monaco, San Marino.

The Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine over four years ago. Despite repeated and united appeals by the international community, the Russian Federation continues its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, in flagrant violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. The consequences and repercussions of this unprovoked full-scale invasion are global. 

Russia’s war of aggression systematically targets civilians and civilian infrastructure, and seeks to destroy Ukrainian culture, education, sciences and the free flow of information, not limited to, but especially in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia.

Russian missile and drone strikes on the World Heritage sites in Kyiv in January and again in March this year in L’viv were deliberate and may constitute flagrant violation of Russia’s obligations under the 1972 World Heritage Convention.  The EU is particularly concerned about the protection of Ukrainian cultural property under Russian occupation and recalls, inter alia, the universality of the 1954 Hague Convention.

The EU commends UNESCO’s emergency assistance programme for Ukraine in all areas of its mandate, its operational expansion and the work of UNESCO’s Antenna in Ukraine. We thank the Secretariat and donors for mobilizing over 75 million USD. UNESCO's continued support and assistance to Ukraine remains vital and will need to be continued as long as necessary.

The EU reiterates its support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine grounded in the principles of the UN Charter and international law and welcomes all efforts to that end.

The EU continues to stand up for Ukraine with unwavering commitment.