55th session of the Human Rights Council
Item 8 - Follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
JOINT STATEMENT
on holding “elections” for president of the Russian
Federation in the temporarily occupied or controlled territories of Ukraine.
27 March 2024
Mr. President,
This statement is delivered on behalf of 43 states.
Article 3 of the Vienna Declaration states: “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”.
In resolution 78/221, the General Assembly condemned the ongoing temporary control or occupation by the Russian Federation of part of the territory of Ukraine, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and certain areas of the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and reaffirmed the non-recognition of its annexation.
Mr. President,
We condemn in the strongest terms the holding by the Russian Federation of so-called “elections” on Ukraine’s sovereign territory on 15-17 March in the temporarily occupied or controlled territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. They have no legitimacy nor validity under international law and cannot and do not alter the status of these regions of Ukraine.
This is just another futile effort by the Russian Federation to legitimize or formalize its illegal attempted annexation of parts of Ukraine.
We reiterate our support for the territorial integrity, unity, and sovereignty of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders as well as for Ukraine’s political independence - which the Russian Federation continues to violate.
We fully support a Ukraine-driven peace process and the principles set forth in President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula and look forward to continued cooperation to develop this initiative with a view to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine and security to the whole world.
We stand firmly with the people of Ukraine as they bravely face Russia’s aggression and express our solidarity with those in Ukraine’s territories under Russia’s temporary control who continue to speak up at great personal risk against Russia`s full-scale invasion.
Thank you!
Delivered on behalf of:
- Albania
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States