Top UN official slams Russia’s unlawful elections in occupied Ukraine | EUROtoday

“Russia’s intention to conduct presidential elections from today, 15 March, until 17 March in areas of Ukraine under its control are unacceptable,” mentioned Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, mentioned.

Under worldwide humanitarian regulation, the occupying energy – on this case, Russia – should uphold the legal guidelines of Ukraine within the occupied territories, she continued.

‘Unspeakable suffering and destruction’

Noting that 16 March marks a decade since Russia’s illegal try to annex Crimea and Sevastopol via a “so-called referendum”, she mentioned Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has seen additional annexation makes an attempt in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia areas of Ukraine.

She highlighted General Assembly resolutions condemning these unlawful actions and pointed to UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reviews on previous “so-called referenda” and native elections performed in a “coercive environment”.

“Any annexation of a State’s territory by another State resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law,” she mentioned, “yet, that is what the Russian Federation has attempted in Ukraine, causing, in the process, unspeakable suffering and destruction.”

Growing humanitarian issues

She mentioned the humanitarian scenario in Ukraine stays dire amid the intensification of aerial assaults by Russian forces, as highlighted final week by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

A new report by the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, revealed on Friday, supplies new perception and confirms earlier findings that torture towards civilians by Russian authorities in Ukraine and in Russia has been widespread and systematic, she mentioned.

“Victims’ accounts disclose relentless, brutal treatment inflicting severe pain and suffering during prolonged detention, with blatant disregard for human dignity,” she mentioned, including that every one perpetrators of such egregious violations should be held accountable.

“We continue to support efforts to this end by continuing to record these cases and to implore the Russian Federation to facilitate access to all detainees,” she mentioned.

‘Peace continues to elude us’

“As this war is now in its third year, peace continues to elude us,” she mentioned.

The rising toll of the conflict on the individuals of Ukraine is simple, and girls represent the overwhelming majority of 6.2 million individuals pressured to flee their properties in the course of the conflict, she informed ambassadors.

Despite immense obstacles, Ukrainian ladies have been on the forefront of humanitarian initiativesand female-led civil society teams had been among the many earliest responders to the full-scale invasion, she mentioned, including that it’s essential to acknowledge their important function within the lengthy course of to restoration and peaceable way forward for Ukraine.

“The pursuit of peace must be our foremost priorityguided by the UN Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions,” she mentioned.

Watch Ukraine’s ambassador ship an announcement on behalf of worldwide companions outdoors the Security Council Chamber right here.