youtube URL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jddlQdAu3zM
summary
The text reflects on the three-year mark since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the severe humanitarian and legal violations involved. The invasion, a breach of the UN Charter, has resulted in significant casualties and displacement, with millions of Ukrainians uprooted and vast destruction across the country. Civilian infrastructure, including medical and educational facilities, has suffered extensive damage, further impacting the population’s welfare. The conflict has expanded into parts of Russia, causing additional civilian casualties and damage. Globally, the war has destabilized economies, disrupted food security, and heightened nuclear risks. Human rights violations, including torture and executions, have been pervasive, necessitating justice and accountability. The international community, led by the UN, continues to provide humanitarian assistance, though access is restricted in Russian-occupied areas. The Security Council calls for a peaceful resolution, emphasizing respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity according to international law.
transcript
Thank you, Mr. President. Three years ago today, the world watched in shock as the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a clear violation of the UN Charter and international law. This act undermined the very foundations of the international order. For three long years, the people of Ukraine have endured relentless death, destruction, and displacement. Families have been torn apart, lost loved ones, and witnessed their homes and entire cities reduced to rubble. The Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights has verified that since 24 February 2022, at least 12,654 Ukrainian civilians, including 673 children, have been killed. Another 29,392, including 1,865 children, have been injured. The actual figures are likely considerably higher. The numbers only continue to rise as Russia’s brutal attacks persist across the country. In 2024 alone, civilian casualties increased by 30 percent, compared to the previous year. The war has created the largest displacement crisis in Europe since the Second World War. More than 10 million Ukrainians remain uprooted, 3.6 million displaced within Ukraine, and 6.9 million seeking refuge abroad. Many remain in precarious conditions, uncertain whether they will ever return home. Beyond the immediate physical devastation, the long-term psychological toll on an entire generation of Ukrainians is incalculable. Ukraine is now among the most heavily mined countries in the world. This is a deadly legacy that will take years to overcome, including its immense environmental consequences. The massive destruction of civilian infrastructure impacts millions. For three consecutive winters, repeated strikes on the energy grid have left communities without power, heating, or other essential services. Over two million families remain without adequate shelter. At least 790 attacks have damaged or destroyed medical facilities. This has put the lives of countless patients at risk, with medical professionals struggling to work under extreme circumstances. In 2024 alone, attacks on medical facilities tripled compared to the previous year. The education system has also been decimated. More than 3,600 schools and universities have been damaged, preventing 600,000 children from attending classes in person. Last year, attacks on educational facilities surged by 96 percent compared to 2023. Mr. President, over the past three years, the conflict has also escalated and expanded, not only across Ukraine, but into parts of the Russian Federation. We have seen reports by local Russian officials of increased civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions of the Russian Federation due to alleged Ukrainian attacks. It cannot be said often enough. Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. They are unacceptable no matter where they occur. The war’s impact is also felt globally, as it destabilizes economies, disrupts food security, and threatens international peace. The further internationalization of the conflict is deeply alarming, particularly with the reported deployment of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea into the conflict zone. Moreover, the risk of a nuclear incident remains unacceptably high. A drone attack on 14 February caused a fire in the building, confining the remains of the reactor destroyed in the 1986 Chernobyl accident. This incident once again underlines the persistent risks to nuclear safety in Ukraine. Mr. President, the United Nations is committed to assisting Ukraine in its recovery. We continue to work with our humanitarian partners to deliver life-saving assistance. In the past three years, over 200 interagency convoys have reached 810,000 people with assistance along the front line. However, without sustained funding, these critical efforts risk being suspended, which would leave 12.7 million people without the assistance they so desperately need. Further, we still do not have access to the estimated one million people in need of humanitarian aid in areas of Ukraine currently occupied by the Russian Federation. We recall that international humanitarian law requires the facilitation of rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for all civilians in need, no matter where they live. International humanitarian law also prohibits attacks on humanitarian personnel and assets. And since February 2022, 25 aid workers have been killed in the line of duty and 86 others injured. There have been 236 documented incidents involving violence against humanitarian personnel, assets, and facilities. Humanitarian workers must be protected. Mr. President, the full-scale invasion brought a dramatic increase in the number of human rights violations in Ukraine, as reported by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. OHCHR also documented the systemic and widespread use of torture, including sexual violence, by Russian authorities against Ukrainian prisoners of war. OHCHR reports that 95 percent of Ukrainian POWs and three-quarters of Ukrainian civilian detainees interviewed have suffered torture or ill-treatment in Russian captivity. Russian forces have executed at least 71 Ukrainian POWs since February 2022, with an alarming spike in executions since August 2024. And at least 170 civilians, including five children, have been executed in areas of Ukraine controlled by Russian authorities, including in places of detention. Meanwhile, about half of the 469 Russian POWs interviewed by OHCHR described torture and ill-treatment mostly during the initial stages of captivity. Twenty-six of those interviewed reported having been subjected to sexual violence. The Monitoring Mission has also verified the execution of 26 Russian POWs. With one exception, these killings occurred in 2022 and early 2023. These crimes must not go unpunished. All victims of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law deserve justice. Accountability is not optional. It is an obligation under international law. Mr. President, in its only consensual decision concerning Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, the presidential statement of 6 May 2022, the Security Council recalled that member states have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means. The resolution the Council adopted a few minutes ago also urges a swift end to the conflict. Indeed, it is high time for peace in Ukraine. This peace must be just, sustainable, and comprehensive, in line with the Charter of the United Nations, international law, and resolutions of the General Assembly, including those adopted this morning. This includes full respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.