On Tuesday, 27 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba took part in the High-level Segment of the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council and addressed the audience with a video message.

The Foreign Minister reminded the high-ranking officials of the UN member states that since the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea, the russian occupiers had unacceptably persecuted, harassed and seriously violated the rights of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, and the full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022 was only the culmination of a decade-long russian aggression against Ukraine.

The Minister also noted that all those resisting the russian occupation continued to be targeted by the russian occupation authorities, as stated in the recent decision of the International Court of Justice.

Dmytro Kuleba noted that russia’s control over Crimea posed a threat to the entire Black Sea region and once again drew attention to serious human rights violations in all temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

“The abduction of children is one of the most heinous crimes committed by the russian federation during its aggression against Ukraine. Every criminal involved in this genocidal policy must be brought to justice,” the Ukrainian diplomat stressed.

The Minister noted that the establishment of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine was a decisive and timely response of the UN Human Rights Council to russian aggression and a critical step to ensure proper documentation of all facts of gross human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by russia in Ukraine, and called on the Council to extend the mandate of the Commission for another year.

Dmytro Kuleba reaffirmed Ukraine’s desire to establish a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and an international mechanism of compensation for victims of russian aggression.

“I urge you to join us in making every effort to bring russia to justice for its crimes against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” Dmytro Kuleba said.

The Foreign Minister also called for consolidated international support for President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula, which remained “the only realistic plan to achieve a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace in Ukraine”, as well as for support of the upcoming inaugural Global Peace Summit.

“We call on UN member states to join international efforts to implement the principles of the Peace Formula and create a world where the use of force is unthinkable and human rights and human dignity are paramount,” said Dmytro Kuleba.