EU Statement – UN General Assembly: Human Rights situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine

Check against delivery

President,

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

    

2. The Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, and the EFTA country Liechtenstein, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Andorra and Monaco, align themselves with this statement.

3.  Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea, Sevastopol and parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, and its continuing and systematic violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law in these temporarily occupied territories constitute a clear manifestation of its policy of subjugation and reveals the true nature of its war of aggression against Ukraine.

4.  After illegally and forcibly occupying these Ukrainian territories, Russia’s true intent is clearly exposed: to seek to systematically destroy the daily lives, the full enjoyment of rights, and identities of Ukrainians forced to live under its occupation.

5.  Just a few days ago, on 24 August, Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day. That date reminds us that, in 1991, the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians –in each and every one of the 27 administrative regions of Ukraine – voted in favour of independence. The international community immediately recognised a free and independent Ukraine, acknowledging its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Russian Federation did so too.

6.  But Russia’s recognition of an independent and sovereign Ukraine did not last. In full violation of its multilateral commitments and its bilateral agreements with Ukraine, Russia illegally annexed Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in 2014 and then proceeded to illegally occupy other Ukrainian territories, both before and since its full-scale invasion in 2022.

7.  Russia’s illegal war of aggression blatantly breaches the core principles and rules of the UN Charter, including the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. It constitutes a manifest violation of international law, including the UN Charter and the resolutions of the General Assembly. For that reason alone, it must be called out by all UN Member States, as it has been the case on multiple occasions.

8.  Despite being denied access, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN’s independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, among others, have documented Russian actions against Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories. For twelve years, since 2014, Russia has been persistently committing systematic, large-scale violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

9.  The documented record is extensive: politically motivated persecution, arbitrary detention and arrest, extrajudicial executions, widespread and systematic torture and abuse against civilian detainees and prisoners of war, cruel, inhuman, and degrading ill-treatment or punishment, sexual and gender-based violence, unlawful deportations and forcible transfers of civilians, including children, enforced disappearances, violations of the right to a fair trial, suppression of freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief, persecution of independent media, journalists, human rights defenders, and representatives of religious communities, restrictions on religious freedom, culture, education, identity and cultural heritage, discrimination and other violations directed against Ukrainian citizen by Russia, banning of representative institutions of the Crimean Tatar people, forced passportisation, unlawful conscription and mobilisation of residents from temporarily occupied parts of the territory of Ukraine. 

10.  Russia imposes its own occupying administration on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, in violation of international humanitarian law and expropriates public and private property. Russia also restricts access to education in Ukrainian’s native language. It forces assimilation, militarisation and indoctrination of minors and youth, through education. Russia’s aim is clear: it seeks to change the demographic composition of the territories it occupies, including through the forcible transfer and deportation of civilian populations, including children.

11.  We call on Russia, and its accomplice Belarus, to immediately end the grave violation of child deportation and forcible transfer, which – according to the Commission of Inquiry - constitute war crimes, to stop the illegal adoptions of Ukrainian children and to ensure the immediate, safe and unconditional return of all unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children, as per the resolution adopted by this Assembly last December.

12.  We urge the international community to join the calls for the immediate, safe and unconditional release of all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained civilians by the Russian Federation and for enhanced international monitoring of the human rights, security, and humanitarian situation in the temporarily occupied territories, by ensuring immediate and unhindered access for OHCHR and relevant UN Special Procedures, including visits to all places of deprivation of liberty, and by supporting the preservation and professional handling of evidence in line with international standards.

13.  Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia are Ukraine. The EU will never recognise as lawful any purported annexation of Ukrainian territory by Russia. Nor will we recognise the forced russification of their people and communities, or the results of any illegal so-called “elections” organised by the Russian occupation administration in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.

14.  The Ukrainian people deserve a secure, independent future – free from war and political coercion. To achieve that, the EU will continue to provide political, financial, economic, military, and diplomatic support to Ukraine as it exercises its inherent right of self-defence while addressing humanitarian needs and supporting all diplomatic efforts to bring this war to an end.

15.  Russia must stop its illegal war of aggression and its occupation of Ukraine, accept an unconditional, immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, and come to the negotiating table to achieve a just and lasting peace in line with international law, including the UN Charter.

     

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