Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN: new demands on Russia included in the updated 'Crimean' UN resolution
The draft of the updated resolution "The Situation of Human Rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, Ukraine", which the Ukrainian delegation presented on Tuesday at the third committee of the UN General Assembly, contains a number of new demands on Russia, as well as an appeal to the organization’s Secretary-General regarding coordination of UN entities in the Crimea.
This was discussed by Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, Voldymyr Yelchenko, reports Ukrinform.
"If compared to the resolution on the Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine), approved by the UN General Assembly in December last year, the new document contains a number of new requirements for the Russian Federation aimed at ensuring compliance with its international obligations in the context of promotion of de-occupation of the Ukrainian peninsula,” said the head of the Ukrainian mission.
Firstly, according to him, the resolution confirms that there is an international armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia. This provision is "particularly important in the context of leveling Russia's arguments there is allegedly an internal conflict in our country."
Secondly, the document “condemns the retroactive application of Russia's own laws in the occupied territory" as well as the fact that Ukrainian citizens living in Crimea are forced to gain Russian citizenship. The draft resolution also recognizes Russia's lack of jurisdiction on the peninsula, which "makes its decisions and laws in Crimea insignificant.”
Thirdly, the resolution calls on Russia to implement an interim decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on restoring the rights and freedoms of citizens of Ukraine on the peninsula. "The document, in addition, calls on the Russian occupation authorities to ensure the educational process in Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar, and also comply with the laws of Ukraine, in particular in matters of property," the diplomat said.
In addition, added Yelchenko, "we are talking here about mechanisms for monitoring the human rights situation; the resolution condemns the UN Monitoring Mission for Human Rights in Ukraine’s lack of access to Crimea, despite the relevant mandate for the Mission."
At the same time, the document suggests an initiative to prepare a second topical report on the Crimea before the end of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly (September 2018), as well as to inform the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council (in March 2018) on the human rights situation in the Crimea.
"There have also been positive decisions taken by Ukraine to simplify procedures for journalists and human rights activists to receive unhindered access to the Crimea, [as well as for] Ukrainian support for media and NGOs that were forced to leave Ukraine temporarily," the head of the Mission said.
In addition, according to Yelchenko, the document contains a request to the UN Secretary-General to coordinate the actions of UN entities to implement the provisions of this resolution.
"If we and our partners are persevering, sooner or later, Russia will be forced under international pressure to fulfill all these requirements. This work approximates the de-occupation of Crimea, which is our main goal," Yelchenko summed up.