Chair,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries, North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina*, the potential candidate country Georgia, and the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, as well as San Marino align themselves with this statement.

It has been almost 10 year since the violent, illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation. The EU and its Member States have categorically condemned the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula, which is a serious violation of international law. The EU and its Member States remains steadfast in its commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, Russia has used the same playbook with illegal ‘sham’ referenda, engineered as a pretext for its further violations of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The EU and its Member States will never recognise these illegal annexations. These decisions are null and void and cannot produce any legal effect whatsoever. Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk are Ukraine.

The serious human rights violations and abuses in Crimea since Russia’s illegal annexation are well documented and reported. This includes extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, as well as torture and ill-treatment by the Russian security service and police. Journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, face persecution and harassment and intimidation and freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly and freedom of religion and belief remains severely restricted. Destruction against cultural heritage, such as archaeological treasures, artworks, museums or historical sites have continued unabated.

The same type of alarming human rights violations and abuses are now taking place in the other parts of Ukraine that are illegally controlled or occupied by Russia. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded in its latest report that there were evidence that Russian authorities have continued to commit numerous violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including indiscriminate attacks against civilians, and the war crimes of torture, wilful killing, rape and other sexual violence, and deportation of children.

Today’s resolution draws attention to the unacceptable human rights violations and abuses in Crimea as well as other territories of Ukraine that are illegally controlled or occupied by Russia. We cannot let these crimes go unnoticed.

Therefore, EU Member States will vote YES to Resolution L42, and respectfully ask other delegations to do so as well.

Thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.