55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Item 10 - Interactive Dialogue on High Commissioner’s oral report on Ukraine.
Statement delivered by H.E. Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Mr Egidijus Meilūnas on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic States: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden
28 March 2024
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic States.
We appreciate and firmly support the decade’s work of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, including reporting on violations committed by Russia, thank the High Commissioner for the oral update, and his Office for consistent technical assistance and capacity building to Ukraine.
We condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s temporary occupation of Crimea and parts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as the unlawful imposition of Russian citizenship, legal and administrative systems, and the holding of the so-called “elections”.
Russian armed forces demonstrate unimaginable cruelty by killing, torturing, and committing acts of sexual violence, thus inflicting serious and enduring harm to people and their culture, especially targeting Crimean Tatars. We condemn the illegal conscription of residents of temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine into the Russian army and suppression of Ukrainian identity among children.
Unfortunately, many violations of international law go unreported, as Russia continues to hinder access of international monitoring mechanisms to the territories it controls in Ukraine.
The Nordic-Baltic States reiterate our unwavering support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
Mr. High Commissioner,
What more can we collectively do to ensure effective investigation and full accountability for all violations that Russia committed in Ukraine?
Thank you.