UN Human Rights Council, 48th Session
Item 8 General Debate, 4 October 2021
JOINT STATEMENT delivered by Ukraine on the human rights situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine
Madam President,
1 This statement is delivered on behalf of 40 countries. The full list will be posted in Extranet.
2 Article 3 of the Vienna Declaration stipulates that “Effective international measures to guarantee and monitor the implementation of human rights standards should be taken in respect of people under foreign occupation, and effective legal protection against the violation of their human rights should be provided, in accordance with human rights norms and international law, particularly the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 14 August 1949, and other applicable norms of humanitarian law”.
3 We welcome that the International Crimea Platform has been launched as a consultative and coordination format with the aim of peacefully ending the Russian Federation’s temporary occupation and attempted annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, restoring control of Ukraine over its territory in full accordance with international law, and protecting the rights and freedoms of the population living in Crimea.
4 We recall the UNGA resolution 75/192, in which the General Assembly urged the Russian Federation to uphold its obligations under applicable international law as an Occupying power and condemned all attempts by Russia to legitimize or normalize its attempted annexation of Crimea, including the automatic imposition of Russian citizenship, illegal election campaigns and voting, change of the demographic structure of the population of Crimea, and suppression of national identity.
5 We therefore condemn the holding of Russian Duma elections on Ukraine’s sovereign territory on 17-19 September, without the consent of Ukraine.
6 We do not recognize the results of the elections held in the temporary occupied Crimean peninsula.
7 We resolutely condemn the politically motivated searches and detentions of Crimean Tatars, in particular, Eldar Odamanov, Asan and Aziz Akhtemovs, Shevket Useinov, the first deputy Сhairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Nariman Dzhelyalov, which took place in Crimea in early September. These acts are another example of the Russian Federation’s disregard for its obligations under international law, including human rights law.
8 As reaffirmed in several UNGA resolutions, Russia as an Occupying power, must fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, restore enjoyment of the rights of all individuals in Crimea, fully and immediately comply with the Order of the ICJ of 19 April 2017, and grant full and unimpeded access to Crimea for the established international and regional monitoring mechanisms, in particular the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.
9. We reiterate our support for the territorial integrity, political independence, unity, and sovereignty of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and resolve to work together for the respect of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all residents of Crimea.
Thank you
List of supporting countries (as of 4 October 9:00):
1. Ukraine
2. Albania
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Belgium
6. Bulgaria
7. Canada
8. Croatia
9. Czech Republic
10. Denmark
11. Estonia
12. Finland
13. France
14. Germany
15. Georgia
16. Greece
17. Iceland
18. Ireland
19. Italy
20. Latvia
21. Liechtenstein
22. Lithuania
23. Luxembourg
24. Malta
25. Montenegro
26. Netherlands
27. New Zealand
28. Norway
29. Poland
30. Portugal
31. Republic of Moldova
32. Romania
33. Slovakia
34. Slovenia
35. Spain
36. Sweden
37. Switzerland
38. Turkey
39. the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
40. the United States of America
