– Check against delivery –
President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina*, the potential candidate country Georgia, and the EFTA country Liechtenstein, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Andorra and Monaco, align themselves with this statement.
I thank OCHA [USG Griffiths] for the briefing. I want to commend you and the UN team on the ground for the humanitarian assistance you are providing.
The horrors you have described from inside Ukraine, resulting from Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression, are unimaginable. For 15 months now, the Russian leadership has struggled without success to find any justification whatsoever for its illegal war of aggression. Russia must stop its war and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its forces and proxies from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.
I will emphasise three points in my intervention, 1) the importance of upholding international law and international humanitarian law; 2) the need for accountability; and 3) our efforts to address the global consequences of Russia’s war of aggression.
First, international law and international humanitarian law must be respected. Therefore, Russia must immediately stop its indiscriminate and decimating shelling of civilians and civilian areas. Under international humanitarian law, deliberate attacks on civilians, or attacks that do not distinguish between military targets and civilians, are prohibited under all circumstances.
The protection of civilians is paramount. We strongly condemn cases related to sexual and gender based violence. We are particularly horrified by the impact of Russia’s aggression on children. Children have been killed and maimed, schools and hospitals have been attacked in blatant violation of international law. Russia’s practice of forcibly transferring and deporting Ukrainian children is a violation of international humanitarian law. The UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that it amounts to war crimes. Russia must immediately facilitate the safe return of Ukrainians who were forcibly transferred or deported.
We also strongly condemn Russia’s attacks and violence against journalists and media workers. UNESCO has stated 12 journalists were killed in Ukraine since the start of the invasion. Journalists’ safety is indispensable to ensuring the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and in particular the freedom of the press.
We urge Russia to enable safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to populations in need of assistance, in particular into the temporarily occupied territories through the front lines. It is also imperative that the safety of humanitarian workers is ensured.
Second, there can be no impunity for the commanders, perpetrators and accomplices of atrocities. The EU is firmly committed to ensuring full accountability for war crimes and the other most serious crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including through the establishment of an appropriate mechanism for the prosecution of the crime of aggression. We welcome the creation of the new International Centre for Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine in The Hague and we reiterate our support for the investigations of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. We are also fully supportive of the establishment of an international mechanism to register the damages Russia has inflicted, as recommended by the UN General Assembly in its resolution of 15 November 2022.
Third, Russia’s aggression and its weaponisation of food have undermined global food security, driving up food and fertiliser prices worldwide. We welcome the Secretary-General’s active engagement to address these serious consequences, and call on all Member States to come together in support of his efforts. They benefit us all, including Russia.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative in particular has been instrumental in bringing down global food prices. It is crucial that it is renewed and runs at its full potential, to provide continuity and predictability needed by operators and to avoid a discontinuation in shipments of grains to countries in need. We must not forget that there would be no need for the BSGI if it were not for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
In addition to the BSGI, the EU’s Solidarity Lanes have allowed the export of more than 32 million tonnes of Ukraine’s food and agricultural goods. World Food Programme chartered vessels have transported almost 600.0000 metric tonnes of wheat through various Black Sea ports, including to Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and Kenya. Through Ukraine’s own “Grain from Ukraine” program, 175.000 metric tonnes of grain have been donated to countries in need.
We know these efforts are insufficient for countries vulnerable to food insecurity. Therefore, together with our Member States, we are providing EUR 18 billion to address urgent and longer term food security needs in 2021-2024, focusing on regions most affected by food insecurity. Concretely this support enables vulnerable countries to afford key staples’ imports despite price increases and currency devaluations, as well as to increase their resilience and food autonomy in the longer term.
I want to reassure the members of this Council that every effort in support of Ukraine has come in addition to, and not instead of, our global commitments, as illustrated by the increase in EU Official Development Assistance, even when deducting our support to Ukraine and its refugees. We are grateful to all countries who are generously supporting those in need in Ukraine and elsewhere, and once again encourage all to step up their assistance in line with OCHA’s humanitarian response plan and appeal for aid for this year.
President,
In closing, I reiterate our call for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter and the GA resolution adopted in February. The EU is unwavering it its support to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and its inherent right of self-defence against Russia’s aggression.
We will continue to stand firmly with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Thank you.
* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
Source: EU Delegation to the UN in New York