Statement of the Delegation of Ukraine at the UNSC Briefing on Sudan ICC
Mr. President,
We are grateful to Madame Prosecutor for her detailed briefing on the situation in Darfur. This is the third report our delegation has heard since we joined the Security Council in 2016. And we find it alarming that so little progress has been made in the ensuing period and, actually, since the Security Council referred the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court over ten years ago. We welcome the recent month’s reports of the visible improvement of the situation in Darfur, and we recognize the positive role of the Government of Sudan in this.
Nevertheless, we remain deeply concerned about violations of international humanitarian law, human rights violations and abuses, including attacks against IDP camps, sexual and gender based violence and other crimes committed in Darfur in the past. The Council should pay a special attention to these crimes. It is even more alarming that those most responsible for them are not held accountable.
The ICC is not the one to blame for the current situation. On the contrary, we would like to commend the efforts the ICC Prosecutor’s Office has undertaken to move the process forward.
However the Court’s capacities are limited when it comes to execution and enforcement measures. The ICC relies entirely on States’ cooperation in carrying out arrests and surrendering suspects.
Mr. President,
Security Council Resolution 1593 on Darfur obliged the Government of Sudan and all other parties to the conflict to cooperate fully with and provide any necessary assistance to the Court and the Prosecutor.
Unfortunately, the Sudanese authorities continue to question the ICC’s jurisdiction.
The travels of Darfur suspects across international borders with total impunity, including during the reporting period, is also a matter of concern.
In this regard, we call on all actors in the region and beyond to fully comply with all their commitments and obligations without exception and ensure full cooperation with the ICC.
We would like to emphasise that non-compliance with ICC decisions and requests undermines the foundations of the international criminal justice system.
In this respect we welcome the decision of Gambia to revoke its withdrawals from the Rome Statute. We hope to see its full cooperation with the Court as the next step.
We should consolidate our efforts against impunity. Failure to bring to justice those responsible for the worst crimes provokes further violations. Inevitability of punishment irrespective of position or nationality of perpetrators is a sine qua non.
Finally, I’d like to thank Madame Prosecutor for her dedicated efforts. We hope that your work, despite the challenges just mentioned and limited resources, will bring concrete and tangible results.
I thank you, Mr. President.