29th session of the UN Human Rights Council
Agenda item 2
General debates
Intervention by Permanent Representative of Ukraine
Ambassador Yurii Klymenko
(June 15, 2015)
Mr. President,
We thank the High Commissioner for his brave and straightforward update on the activities of his Office, including in my country.
My delegation positively assesses the work of the OHCHR Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and its regular reporting.
Once the Mission managed to get access to certain areas in the East of Ukraine temporarily controlled by the Russia-backed illegal armed groups in presence of the Russian regular troops, the last report clearly documented extensive range of crimes and vast human rights violations, collapse of law and order on the territories of self-proclaimed “Donetsk/Luhansk People’s Republics” which, for the time being, are beyond the Government’s control.
We can only guess on what a grim picture the report would provide if the Mission would have access to occupied Crimea where the human rights situation further deteriorates, especially with regard to Crimean Tatars and those who oppose the illegitimate occupation authorities.
Ongoing efforts of the Ukrainian Government aimed at rigorous reforming of the national human rights protection sphere, being carried out in close collaboration with the relevant organizations, particularly the UN, need adequate technical assistance.
And we commend the Mission’s role in proper evaluation of needs for technical assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights.
But it is far more important to bring peace to the regions of Ukraine suffering from continuing aggression against my country; to make the illegal armed groups terrorizing population on the territories they control, as well as those who back them, to strongly adhere to Minsk Agreements.
Today there is no alternative to these agreements on the way to steady ceasefire, stabilization of the conflict-affected regions and their further recovery on the basis of law and order and full respect for human rights.
I thank you.