Statement by the delegation of Ukraine at the UNGA meeting under Agenda Item 33 “Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development”

Statement by the delegation of Ukraine at the UNGA meeting under Agenda Item 33 “Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development”

Statement by the delegation of Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly meeting under Agenda Item 33 “Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development” on the draft resolution on “Status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia”

(7 June 2016)

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues,

Ukraine aligns itself with the statement made by the delegation of Azerbaijan on behalf of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development — GUAM and its member states: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and the Republic of Moldova.

I would also like to make several remarks in my national capacity.

There is no doubt that the refugee and displacement crisis is one of the most important issues on the agenda of the UN General Assembly. It has also been a long-standing one in the GUAM region.

Regretfully, since 2014 this challenge has been very relevant to Ukraine. Russian aggression against my country caused about 1.7 million of IDPs. It continues to destroy families and peoples’ lives. A lot of citizens of Ukraine have been displaced twice — first from Crimea, and then again from certain regions of eastern Ukraine.

Mr. President,

Hundreds of thousands of IDPs have been living in limbo in Georgia since early 1990s. The Georgian government has taken unprecedented steps to improve IDP conditions but a lot of work remains to be done.

IDPs in Georgia continue to require international assistance and attention.

We stand together with Georgians in solidarity and urge all UN Member States to lend their full support to the presented document, which has purely humanitarian goals. The draft resolution is aimed to address the issues IDPs from Georgia face every day, it will help them to live the life they deserve.

The draft resolution is clearly of a humanitarian nature despite many attempts to politicize its content. It recognizes the right of safe and dignified return of all internally displaced persons and refugees and their descendants, regardless of ethnicity, to their homes in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region and stresses the need to respect their property rights.

So let us put aside all political differences and prove our commitment to the UN Charter and international humanitarian law. We firmly believe that the humanitarian concerns of the affected population, including internally displaced persons, should be a priority in the present situation.

Mr. President,

I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s full support for the draft resolution as well as for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukraine will vote in favour and I urge all the states that have not supported the resolution last year to reconsider their position. It will be the best proof of the UN General Assembly support of the humanitarian principles.

I thank you.