51st session of the UN Human Rights Council

General Debate under agenda Item 2

Intervention by the delegation of Ukraine

13 September 2022

Mr. President,

We thank the Acting High Commissioner for her update and comprehensive overview of human rights situations in different regions of the world.

As a member of this Council, Ukraine is committed to work together with partner delegations and the OHCHR towards the resolution of these and other challenges.

For the last seven months, the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide has been experiencing far-reaching damaging ramifications of the war launched against Ukraine by Russia.

While Moscow tries to squeeze out political concessions at the expense of international law and Ukraine's territorial integrity, it holds the human rights hostage in pursuing its malicious goals.

With the inevitable approach of liberation of all Ukraine's territories from Russian occupation, we should expect Putin's regime to intensify its actions to threaten nuclear catastrophe, undermine global food and energy security, subvert economic rights, incite unrest through disinformation and other means.

The international community should stay strong in countering these poisonous plans.

While Russian aggression has far-reaching global ramifications for human rights, its toll on the people of Ukraine continues to be devastating. Not a day passes without news of civilian casualties from indiscriminate bombing and shelling of Ukrainian cities, dozens of which have been leveled to the ground. Russia has killed almost four hundred of Ukrainian children. Thousands of our citizens were apprehended on occupied territories and subjected to torture, inhumane treatment and killing. 

As the situation on the battleground invertedly turns into Ukraine’s favor, Russia doubles down on its purposeful tactics of terror against the people in Ukraine. As recently as last Sunday in response to Ukraine’s liberation of its territory in Kharkiv region, Russian rockets have hit thermal power plant leaving large areas of the country without electricity. Such deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure is a war crime and should not enjoy impunity.

We appreciate the work being done by the UN monitoring mission in Ukraine in documenting these atrocities. 

Upholding consolidated pressure on the aggressor state should be the only option for all of us. Ukraine reiterates its call for continuing strong response of the UN members states and its human rights mechanisms to the situation in our country, and we count on your unwavering support.