STATEMENT
Norway’s statement as delivered by Ms Jannicke GRAATRUD, Chargée d'affaires, Permanent Mission of Norway
18 December 2020
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Madam President,
We thank the High Commissioner for her report and urge all parties to do more to address the human rights violations identified by the Human Rights Monitoring Mission.
The COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on crossing the contact line have worsened the already difficult situation for the local population.
In government-controlled areas, the human rights monitors continued to note lack of accountability for human rights violations and undue delays in court proceedings in conflict-related cases.
We welcome the establishment of a mechanism to compensate inhabitants for houses destroyed by conflict in eastern Ukraine. We urge the government to implement it swiftly and allocate the necessary funding.
We call on the self-proclaimed authorities in areas not controlled by the government to end all arbitrary and incommunicado detention, ill-treatment and torture.
The human rights situation in Crimea remains particularly serious. We urge Russia to stop the practice of deporting detainees to prisons in Russia. It is concerning that lawyers in Crimea face difficulties when representing Ukrainian citizens. We call on Russia, as the occupying power, to respect its obligations under international law.
Thank you, Madam President