25th Session of the Human Rights Council
Item 2 General debate
Intervention by the Permanent Representative of Ukraine
Ambassador Yurii Klymenko
(Geneva, March 26, 2014)
Check against delivery
Mr. President,
First of all, I would like to wholeheartedly thank for the solidarity with Ukraine expressed by the countries in the relevant Joint Statement we recently heard as well as in national capacities.
Situation in Ukraine deteriorates at a dramatic pace. Only twenty days ago I have provided the High Commissioner in an interactive dialogue with objective information about the traitorous scenario performed in Crimea by the puppet regime for its Kremlin patron. It was the very day when illegitimate decision to hold the so-called “Crimean referendum” was taken by the self-proclaimed unlawful authorities.
And what we witness today – perfidious, unrecognized by the world community Crimea annexation is completed, and Russia hastily takes stock of the hijacked Ukrainian property all over the peninsula.
I wish to reiterate - Ukraine categorically rejects and condemns unilateral incorporation of Crimea, occupied by the Russian armed forces, into the Russian Federation and the law on establishment of its new subjects - Republic of Crimea and the Federal city Sevastopol.
We urge all UN member-states to distance themselves from this act of annexation and use all legitimate means and mechanisms to stop this outrageous attempt to ruin the international law and the UN system of collective security. Any step recognizing the results of this farce will be viewed by Ukraine as a deeply unfriendly move and will cause repercussions on bilateral level.
International community has no right to tolerate an increasing number of outrageous violations of human rights reported since the occupation of Crimea, including numerous cases of using women, children and elderly people as “human shields” in attacks against Ukrainian military units and facilities by Crimean separatists along with Russian armed forces. There is increased threat to the Crimean Tatar people – because of their pro-Ukrainian stance, they face severe violence and discrimination. Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian activists, supporting civilized discussion about the region’s future, are in constant danger of being kidnapped or otherwise terrorized by illegal militia – so called “self-defence”.
Ukraine hopes that international monitoring missions, in particular, those by the UN, the OSCE and the Council of Europe would be able to estimate facts on the ground and to assist the government of Ukraine to ensure that all rights of all inhabitants of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea are respected. It is possible only if the Russian occupation forces will stop blocking access of international observers into the occupied territory of Crimea.
Finally, we urge Russia to stop its destabilization activities in the Southern and Eastern regions of Ukraine, withdraw from the Ukrainian border unreasonably huge grouping of troops which pose threat to the whole Europe, and return to negotiations based on adherence to the international law and bilateral agreements.
I thank you.