37^th session of the UN Human Rights Council

Agenda item 2

Interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner

 

Intervention by Permanent Representative of Ukraine                                 

Ambassador Yurii Klymenko

 

March 8, 2018

 

Mr. President,

Let me thank the High Commissioner for his update and thoughts.

True, committing to the spirit and letter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is as needed now as seventy years ago. The examples of violations and abuses of human rights spotlighted in High Commissioner’s update prove that any country, any authority should be reminded now and then of the necessity to uphold universally recognized rights and freedoms.

Every single effort is worth making. Our Council should further speak out on human rights emergencies as it did recently on Eastern Ghouta. We should continue to resist attempts to silence human rights violations, be they open or covered or hybrid.

UDHR is a ‘soft law’ but it’s a moral basis of the whole system of international law and justice.

Ukraine firmly believes that international justice is indispensable. We will continue to refer to every International Court, every International Tribunal possible to request protection of the basic human rights of the Ukrainian people that have been blatantly violated by one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council – the Russian Federation. We seek justice and accountability, while the Russian Federation continues to demonstrate disregard for its obligations under international law. 

Its military aggression against Ukraine started four years ago, leading to the gross violations of human rights in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine – the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and parts of Donbas.

These violations must be stopped, and we are grateful for the support of international community.

Domestically, Ukraine will keep implementing comprehensive reforms based on human rights approach. We count on continued support of the Office of the High Commissioner on this path.

I thank you.