42st session of the UN Human Rights Council
Agenda item 10
Intervention by the Delegation of Ukraine
(26 September 2019)
Mr. President,
Ukraine reiterates its appreciation to the Office of the High Commissioner for providing technical assistance at the country level. The commitment of OHCHR to delivering much needed help to states is essential for improvement of human rights situations on a global scale.
We believe that efforts aimed at prevention are key to enhancing the potential of states. This goal is increasingly referenced in numerous HRC resolutions considered under agenda item 10, including the resolution “Cooperation and assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights” adopted at the 41st session of the Council.
We value the contribution of the OHCHR Monitoring mission in Ukraine in providing support in this field as well as other areas of its human rights related activities. Since the deployment of the Mission in 2014, it has produced numerous regular and thematic reports, whichhave notably contributed to the improvement of human rights situation on the ground and the Government’s response to existing and potential issues.
However, particularly serious obstacles have not been removed, namely those related to the possibility for the Mission to conduct its monitoring in the whole territory of Ukraine.
For more than six years, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol remain an area of the most blatant violations of fundamental freedoms and complete disregard for international human rights law by Russia’s occupation administration.
As stated in the recent report by the UN Secretary General, the efforts aimed at seeking ways to ensure safe and unfettered access to Crimea by established regional and international human rights monitoring mechanisms have so far been unsuccessful.
Russia’s disregard for decisions of the UN bodies and non-cooperation with human rights monitoring mechanisms is a challenge which is common both for Ukraine and for anothercountry,whose territories – Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia - Russia occupies since 2008, namely Georgia.
We appreciate the High Commissioner’s update on cooperation with Georgiaandreaffirm our staunchsupport for its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders.
There is only one way to improve the situation in the occupied territories of Ukraine and Georgia, and it is through robust and continuous pressure on the Russian Federation as the occupying power so that it finally starts honoring its obligations under international law.
I thank you.