Виступ делегації України на тематичних дебатах високого рівня ГА ООН щодо ООН, миру та безпеки

Statement by the delegation of Ukraine at the High-level Thematic Debate of the General Assembly on the United Nations, Peace and Security

May 11, 2016

Mr. President,

I would like to express our gratitude to the President of the General Assembly for his timely initiative to discuss one of the most important topic for our Organization. Our gratitude also goes to all keynote speakers for their substantive input to our deliberations.

Mr. President,

Nowadays, the world experiences the outbreak of new conflicts because of rule of law erosion, mass human rights violations and lack of international institutional capabilities to stop and prosecute responsible state actors. This scourge has affected not only Africa and Middle East but also the center of Europe.

The United Nations has to use all its potential and be proactive to prevent outbreak, resurgence or continuity of armed conflict. In this context, we welcome the fact that the concept of «sustaining peace» was reflected in the resolutions that the Security Council and the General Assembly unanimously adopted last month after UN Peacebuilding Architecture review.

As a current non-permanent member of the Security Council Ukraine is confident, that preventive diplomacy represents a major tool that the Council should deploy more actively. In this regard, we regret that due to the destructive and selfish position of one of the permanent members, the Council nowadays finds itself blocked in discharging its direct responsibilities on too many critical instances.

Here I would like to stress also the importance of good offices of the Secretary-General and his mandated function to draw the Council’s attention to situations that could threaten international peace and security. The Council on its part should expand its visiting missions to all parts of the world, where situations warrant Council’s engagement on the ground.

Mr. President,

In a few weeks we will mark the International Peacekeeper’s Day. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all blue helmets who, risking their lives, bring peace and stability to the peoples in different parts of the world.

Since its inception UN peace operations have proved to be an adaptive instrument becoming a flagship activity of our Organization. Despite the greatest external threat to my country in its modern history, Ukraine remains a reliable partner of the Organization in this noble endeavor.

Ukraine welcomes the practical steps of the Secretariat aimed at the implementation of profound conclusions and far-reaching recommendations contained in the report of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations.

Ukraine also shares the view that peace operations should be well equipped and provided with well-trained personnel. In this regard, we believe that cost-effective technologies have to become an essential element of the Organization’s peacekeeping activity, thus improving not only the personnel’s safety, but providing meaningful tool to protect civilians.

By joining today the Kigali Principles Ukraine again committed itself to the policy that protection of civilians is an overarching objective for the UN peacekeeping operations.

In this regard, it is highly disturbing that reports of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers keep overshadowing UN peacekeeping. Ukraine actively supported the adoption of the Council’s resolution 2272 targeting this scourge and strives for its full implementation.

We know first-hand how merciless an impact of armed conflicts could be on women. It is only natural that the Women, Peace and Security Agenda is now recognized internationally, yet there are still challenges in taking it forward. Ensuring a gender perspective is critical, including in the areas of prevention and disarmament, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, policy-making and reconstruction.

Mr. President,

Today we are discussing the outcomes of the three major reviews. However, any reform would be incomplete without ensuring transparency and accountability of the Security Council. The Council must become truly democratic and representative body, free from the relics of the past such as «veto» power.

Election of next Secretary-General will be one of the most important decisions to be made this year by the General Assembly. Decision that will influence UN performance in the areas we are discussing today. It is crucial therefore, that strong and robust figure capable of leading the Organization is appointed. We strongly believe that such a person should have proven record of uncompromising advocacy of full and unconditional implementation of the UN Charter.

Mr. President,

While we are debating in this esteemed forum, the People of Ukraine continue to suffer aggression from one of the Security Council’s permanent members — an act of the state that, being entrusted to safeguard international peace, on the contrary brutally violates all Principles and Purposes of the Charter thus undermining its spirit and threatening the future of this Organization.

Therefore, any reform in the area of peace and security could be deemed successful only if it results in our Organization being capable of effectively addressing acts of aggression and bringing those responsible to justice. Otherwise, no nation, no UN Member State can be on the safe side.

I thank you, Mr. President.