HRC58 - Joint statement - Ministerial side event: Following the Aggression Against Ukraine at the on ‘11 years of Human Resistance to the Russian Aggression.’
Human Rights Council – 58th Session
Joint Statement of the Group of Friends of Accountability
Ministerial Side event: Following the Aggression Against Ukraine at the on ‘11 years of Human Resistance to the Russian Aggression.’
February 25, 2025
Delivered by H.E. Wim Geerts, Human Rights Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Madam Chair, Ministers, Vice-Ministers, Colleagues,
I am pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of over 45 States and the European Union united in the ‘Group of Friends of Accountability following the aggression against Ukraine.
Yesterday, we marked the grim three-year commemoration of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s aggression is a blatant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and a clear violation of international law, including the UN Charter. This was once again confirmed by the General Assembly yesterday, in a resolution calling for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine.
By adopting the resolution the international community once again underscored the importance of the UN Charter and condemned the devastating consequences of Russia’s aggression, not only for Ukraine, but also for the security of other regions and for global stability.
For over eleven years, those Ukrainian people living under Russian occupation have endured intense repression and persecution. Since the full-scale invasion, 3 years and one day ago, the entire country has been under attack, with civilian and energy infrastructure systematically targeted, drastically reducing access to basic services and disproportionately affecting children, older persons and persons with disabilities. Russia continues its relentless efforts to break the spirit of Ukraine, to dominate its people, and to distort its future. We are witnessing increasingly frequent drone attacks resulting in the death or injury of civilians on Ukrainian controlled territory, raising serious concerns about compliance with fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. We are shocked by the numerous accounts of systematic discrimination and human suffering coming from the temporarily occupied territories. We strongly condemn the ongoing violations of international humanitarian law, and the widespread and gross human rights violations and abuses that have been committed throughout the territory of Ukraine by Russia. In particular, we deplore the torture and executions of prisoners of war, the arbitrary detention of civilians, the attacks against journalists, the wide-spread sexual and gender-based violence and the militarization and indoctrination of children in the temporarily occupied territories as documented by the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
Here in Geneva, we commend the efforts and initiatives taken to ensure full accountability for international crimes. We also recognize the work of the International Criminal Court, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. The Commission of Inquiry’s findings, particularly its conclusion that Russia’s systematic and widespread use of torture amounts to crimes against humanity, are deeply shocking and demand accountability.
The Group of Friends reiterates its unwavering commitment to supporting efforts aimed at bringing perpetrators to justice and preventing further crimes. Ending impunity is an essential step towards securing justice for victims and survivors of international crimes. We will continue to work collectively to uphold accountability, safeguard human rights, and ensure justice and lasting peace for Ukraine.
Thank you, Chair.