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UPDATE: U.N. calls for peace in Ukraine as war hits one-year mark

New York, February 23 – United Nations members voted 141 against 7 to adopt a new resolution that calls for a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace” in Ukraine in line with the principles of the U.N. Charter.

The countries that voted against are: Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua and Syria

The vote took place at the end of a two-day emergency session of the U.N. General Assembly during which representatives of more than 80 countries expressed their views on the war that broke out after Russian military forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

A total of 32 countries abstained, including China, Cuba, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and South Africa.

The resolution says efforts to end the year-old war should be consistent with the U.N. Charter, including principles of sovereignty, equality and territorial integrity of states. The resolution is titled “Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” and already has wide support among the 193 nations members of the U.N.

In an address delivered to the assembly, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Russian-led war is “an affront to our collective conscience. It is a violation of the U.N. Charter and international law. It is having dramatic humanitarian and human rights consequences. And the impact is being felt far beyond Ukraine.”

He said the Charter is unambiguous: “All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.”

The resolution calls for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine’s territory and for Russia to respect the Geneva Convention relative to the treatment of prisoners of war. It also calls on warring parties to abide by international humanitarian law.

The U.N. leader said fully 40 per cent of Ukrainians need humanitarian assistance and their country’s vital infrastructure has been targeted – water, energy and heating systems have been destroyed in the dead of winter.

He said the war in Ukraine has caused the largest refugee crisis since World War Two with more than 8 million Ukrainians now surviving in neighboring countries where U.N. agencies have been cooperating with host countries to provide humanitarian assistance. The UN has launched a $5.6 billion humanitarian appeal for the people in Ukraine.

“I urge your full support,” Guterres said. “I have visited Ukraine twice since the start of the war where I heard testimonies of severe violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the emergency special session that the resolution “will contribute to our joint efforts to bring the war to an end as well as protect the fundamental principles of international law and the U.N. Charter.”

“Never in recent history has the line between good and evil been so clear,” he said. “One country merely wants to live. The other wants to kill and destroy. There is no other country in the world that wants peace as much as Ukraine does.”

Since war broke out in Ukraine, the assembly had adopted five resolutions accusing Russia of violating the U.N. Charter and demanding an end to the war. But resolutions adopted by the assembly are not binding on its members.

Resolutions adopted in 2022

1 – The resolution on March 2 demanded an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its troops and protection for all civilians with a strong vote – 141-5 with 35 abstentions.

2 – On March 24, the assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on a resolution that blamed Russia for Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis and called for an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival.

3 – The third resolution on April 7 suspended Russia’s membership from the U.N.’s Geneva-based Human Rights Council. It said Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. That vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

4 – The fourth one on October 12 condemned Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of four Ukrainian regions with a 143-5 vote and 35 abstentions.

5 – The fifth resolution on November 14 demanded that Russia be held accountable for violating international law by invading Ukraine and it must pay reparations for widespread damage in Ukraine and for Ukrainians killed and injured in the war. The vote was 94-14 with 73 abstentions.

(By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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U.N. calls for peace in Ukraine as war close to one-year mark

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New York, February 22 – With war raging in Ukraine, the U.N. General Assembly reconvened an emergency session to vote on a resolution that calls for a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace” in the beleaguered nation.

In an address delivered to the assembly, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Russian military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 is “an affront to our collective conscience. It is a violation of the U.N. Charter and international law. It is having dramatic humanitarian and human rights consequences. And the impact is being felt far beyond Ukraine.”

Resolutions adopted in 2022

1 – The resolution on March 2 demanded an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its troops and protection for all civilians with a strong vote – 141-5 with 35 abstentions.

4 – The fourth one on October 12 condemned Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of four Ukrainian regions with a 143-5 vote and 35 abstentions.

(By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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U.N. plans new diplomatic efforts to end war in Ukraine

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New York, February 15 – The United Nations has scheduled meetings next week aimed at demanding an end to the war in Ukraine as Russia has launched new military offensives that will drag the war into a second year.

The U.N. Security Council plans to meet on February 24, 2023 – the first anniversary of the war – to discuss new diplomatic action against Russia.

Since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 the U.N. has repeatedly condemned the action as a violation of the U.N. Charter, which calls for resolving disputes through peaceful means, and international rule of law.

Russia has used its veto power as one of five permanent members of the 15-nation U.N. Security Council to blunt all diplomatic action aimed ending the war. The other permanent members are the United States, United Kingdom, France and China.

On February 25, 2022 the council voted 11-1 on a resolution that demanded an immediate stop of the Russian aggression and withdrawal of troops. Russia voted no, which amounted to a veto. The three countries that abstained were China, India and United Arab Emirates.

On September 30, 2022, Russia cast a veto and effectively blocked the council from adopting a resolution that would have condemned President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of four regions in Ukraine as “illegal.”

Ten council members voted in favor of the resolution: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Albania, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway and United Arab Emirates. And four abstained: China, India, Brazil and Gabon.

U.N. General Assembly to meet on February 22, 2023
The General Assembly, comprised of 193 nations, will resume its emergency session on the Ukraine war on February 22 at the request of Albania, Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Japan, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Korea, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the Head of the EU Delegation on behalf of 27 members.

The assembly will discuss and is expected vote on a new resolution entitled the “Principles underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” which calls for Ukraine’s “sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.”

The assembly adopted five resolutions in 2022 accusing Russia of violating the U.N. Charter and demanding an end to the war. But resolutions adopted by the assembly are not binding on its members.

—The first resolution on March 2 demanded an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its troops and protection for all civilians with a strong vote – 141-5 with 35 abstentions.

—In the second one on March 24, the assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions. That resolution blamed Russia for Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis and called for an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival.

—The third one on April 7 suspended Russia’s membership from the U.N.’s Geneva-based Human Rights Council. It said Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. That vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

—The fourth one on October 12 condemned Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of four Ukrainian regions with a 143-5 vote and 35 abstentions.

—The fifth resolution on November 14 demanded that Russia be held accountable for violating international law by invading Ukraine and it must pay reparations for widespread damage in Ukraine and for Ukrainians killed and injured in the war. The vote was 94-14 with 73 abstentions.

(By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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U.N. and partners need $5.6 billion for 15 million people affected by Ukraine war

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Geneva/New York, February 15 – With the Russia-led war in Ukraine entering a second year, the United Nations and humanitarian partners are appealing for $5.6 billion to help more than 15 million people affected by the war in 11 countries.

Two main programs are under way to assist those people since Russian troops invaded Ukraine last February 24, working with the U.N. office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

OCHA said (1) the Humanitarian Response Plan for Ukraine, with more than 650 partners most of them Ukrainian organizations, called for $3.9 billion to reach 11.1 million people with food, health care, cash and other life-saving assistance.

It said (2) the Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for refugees from Ukraine needs $1.7 billion for 10 countries hosting refugee host countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The RRP has some 250 partners that are helping 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees and communities in countries hosting them.

“Almost a year on, the war continues to cause death, destruction and displacement daily, and on a staggering scale,” said Martin Griffiths, the Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

“We will continue to prioritize assistance to people who need it most and to support local authorities and civil-society organizations, whose dedication has been inspiring,” he added. “We must do all we can to reach the hardest-to-reach communities, including those close to the front line. The suffering of the Ukrainian people is far from over – they continue to need international support.”

Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said, “The response in host countries to the Ukraine emergency has been remarkable, with strong state leadership, an outpouring of solidarity by host communities as well as the extraordinary work done by civil society, particularly local NGOs, and refugee-led and community-based organizations.”

“Europe has proven capable of bold, collective action to help refugees”, Grandi added. “Refugees have not only been welcomed, but temporary protection arrangements have provided refugees with the right to work, access services and to be included in national systems. We must not, however, take this response, or the hospitality of host communities, for granted. Continued international support and solidary is needed, until refugees are able to return to their homes in safety and dignity, which must also remain a priority.”

OCHA said in a press release that RRP partners have reached millions of refugees from Ukraine “with protection and assistance,” including over 609,000 children who benefited from child protection services. It said 1 million refugees received in-kind support and over 885,000 people received urgent cash assistance to cover their basic needs.

It said the new fundings will enable partners inside Ukraine and refugee host countries to reach millions of people with protection services. Those services include mental health and psychosocial support, child protection and gender-based violence prevention and response, shelter support, supplies for basic needs, and cash assistance. (by J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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U.N. slams lawlessness, from Russia’s war in Ukraine to illegal development of nuclear weapons by North Korea

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New York, January 12 – The United Nations Security Council is called to find ways to promote and strengthen the rule of law as lawlessness has proliferated, from the illegal Russia’s war in Ukraine nearing one year old, the military takeover in Myanmar to the Taliban’s attacks on women’s and girls’ rights to education and North Korea’s nuclear tests.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, whose country holds the presidency of the 15-nation Security Council in January, called for a resolution on “Uniting for the Rule of Law,” with the council as the principal body responsible for it.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the debate with a statement that the rule of law is “foundational to the United Nations, and to our mission of peace. The Security Council has a vital role in upholding it.”

“From the illegal development of nuclear weapons to the illegal use of force, States continue to flout international law with impunity,” Guterres said. “The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe, traumatized a generation of children, and accelerated the global food and energy crises. In every region of the world, civilians suffer the effects of devastating conflicts, loss of human life, rising poverty and hunger.”

He said North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons programs is “unlawful… and a clear and present danger, driving risks and geopolitical tensions to new heights. The onus is on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply with its international obligations and return to the negotiating table.”

The Talibanin Afghanistan have launched “unprecedented, systemic attacks” on women’s and girls’ rights to education and has undermined development activities in the country, he said.

Guterres said coups d’etat are back “in fashion” in recent years. One example is the military takeover in Myanmar in 2021, which led the country into a cycle of violence, repression and severe human rights violations.

“2022 was a deadly year for both Palestinians and Israelis,” he said. “We condemn all unlawful killings and acts by extremists.”

“The situation in Haiti is characterized by a deep institutional crisis and weak rule of law, widespread human rights abuses, soaring crime rates, corruption and transnational crime.”

Japan’s Foreign Minister Hayashi said the world is currently “beset by the war of aggression in Europe, and conflicts, violence, terrorism, and geopolitical tensions ranging from Africa to the Middle East to Latin America to the Asia-Pacific.”

“I believe that the rule of law is intrinsically linked with the responsibility of this Council. I believe that it is only through multilateralism that we can uphold the rule of law globally. I believe that the United Nations should be at the core of multilateralism. And, I believe that the Security Council should be the guardian of multilateralism.”

He said the proposed “Uniting for the Rule of Law” should draw on the U.N. Charter and resolutions adopted by the U.N. General Assembly related to the rule of law and friendly relations among nations. He said the rule of law should be “anchored in trust among nations” and should “never allows any country to rewrite borders by force or through the flexing of muscles.”

“Member States should unite for the rule of law and cooperate with each other to stand up against violations of the U.N. Charter, such as aggression against, or the acquisition of territory by force from, a Member State. Japan welcomes the efforts by Member States in this regard, and calls for further actions to end the aggression against Ukraine. Let us refrain from recognizing territorial acquisitions by force or supporting aggression directly or indirectly,” he said.

(By J.Tuyet Nguyen)

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UPDATE: Russia to pay for damages in Ukraine war, U.N. says

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New York, November 14 – An international mechanism will be established to hold Russia accountable for the war in Ukraine and for it to pay for damages, loss and injury in that country, the U.N. General Assembly said in a resolution after 94 countries voted for and 14 voted against. A total of 73 countries abstained.

The resolution said Russia violated the U.N. Charter, international human rights and humanitarian law by militarily invading Ukraine on February 24 this year.

Russia “must bear the legal consequences of all its internationally wrongful acts, including making reparation for the injury, including any damage, caused by such acts,” the resolution said.

Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the 193-nation assembly that “Russia has tried its best to destroy Ukraine … by targeting everything from plants and factories to residential buildings, schools, hospitals and kindergartens.”

“Ukraine will have the daunting task of rebuilding the country and recovering from this war,” he said. “But that recovery will never be complete without a sense of justice for the victims of the Russian war. It is time to hold Russia accountable,” he said.

The resolution just adopted was the fifth one this year against Russia. The fourth resolution on October 12 passed with a 143-5 vote to demand that Russia “immediately and unconditionally” reverse its decision to annex four regions in Ukraine – Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia – on September 29. Russia, Syria, North Korea, Nicaragua and Belarus voted against.

The fourth resolution declares that the annexation has “no validity under international law and do not form the basis for any alteration of the status of these regions of Ukraine.”

The resolution condemns Russia for holding on September 23-27 “illegal so-called referendums in regions within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine and the attempted illegal annexation of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine.”

It calls on “all states, international organizations and United Nations specialized agencies not to recognize any alteration” by Russia of the status of the four regions and “to refrain from any action or dealing that might be interpreted as recognizing any such altered status.”

In the previous three votes in the assembly a majority of the 193 member states supported the resolution condemning the war. The vote taken on March 2 just days after fighting erupted a total of 141 countries voted to condemn while Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea voted against. A total of 35 countries abstained.

The adopted resolution on March 2 condemned “in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine” in violation of the U.N Charter and demanded that Russia withdraw immediately and cease all acts of war.

In the second and third votes, the number of countries supporting ending the war dropped while countries that abstained increased.

(By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

UPDATE: Russia to pay for damages in Ukraine war, U.N. says Read More »

Update: 143 countries ask Russia to reverse annexation of Ukraine regions in U.N. vote

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New York, October 12 – The United Nations General Assembly voted 143-5 to demand that Russia “immediately and unconditionally” reverse its decision to annex four regions in Ukraine. Russia, Syria, North Korea, Nicaragua and Belarus voted against.

The number 143 countries in the 193-nation assembly was the highest voting against Russia’s war in Ukraine, which started on February 24 this year, and its decision to annex the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine on September 29.

A total of 35 countries abstained, including China, India, Pakistan, Cuba, Thailand, South Africa and Vietnam.

The resolution declares that the annexation has “no validity under international law and do not form the basis for any alteration of the status of these regions of Ukraine.”

The adopted resolution is the fourth to be enacted by the assembly in its diplomatic efforts to end the war started by Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.

In the second and third votes, the number of countries supporting ending the war dropped while countries that abstained increased.

(By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

Update: 143 countries ask Russia to reverse annexation of Ukraine regions in U.N. vote Read More »

Russian leader seizes Ukrainian regions, move condemned by the United Nations

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New York, September 30 – Russian President Vladimir Putin formally signed documents to annex four Ukrainian regions and declared that Ukrainians living in the areas are “Russian citizens forever.”

The Russian seizure of Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia was strongly condemned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as an escalation of the seven-month war in Ukraine.

“In this moment of peril, I must underscore my duty as Secretary-General to uphold the Charter of the United Nations,” Guterres said in a statement issued the day before Putin signed decrees annexing the Ukrainian territories in a ceremony in the Great Kremlin Palace. The annexation followed referenda conducted by Russia in the four territories, which the UN said were faked and not legal.

“The UN Charter is clear,” Guterres said. “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.”

“Any decision to proceed with the annexation would have no legal value and deserves to be condemned,” Guterres said. “The position of the United Nations is unequivocal: we are fully committed to the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions.”

The UN leader reminded Putin that Russia is one of the five permanent members of the 15-nation UN Security Council, and “it shares a particular responsibility to respect the Charter.” The other four permanent members are the United States, United Kingdom, France and China. The five members have veto power over council’s decisions regarding global peace and security.

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World leaders agree Ukraine war should end as they close general debate

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New York, September 26 – World leaders ended their week-long general debate in the UN General Assembly annual session with calls to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and to reform the United Nations Security Council so it can reflect “realities of this century.”

Csaba Kőrösi, president of the 77th session of the General Assembly, closed the debate during which 190 governments delivered speeches, the largest number of in-person attendees since Covid-19 pandemic erupted in early 2020. He pointed out that only 23 women were among the 190 speakers who included 76 presidents, 50 prime ministers and the remaining were vice presidents and ministers.

Kőrösi said in his closing remarks that he sensed from the world leaders a “growing awareness that humanity has entered a new era” and that there are “significant transformations in the making.”

“We have not even got a name for the new epoch yet, we cannot scientifically describe it yet, but we feel that it has arrived,” he said. “The basic conditions of our global cooperation have changed. We live now in a different world. A world of new challenges, changing priorities, changing roles, and changing ways.”

He said calls to end the war in Ukraine reverberated within the halls of the assembly and speakers described their pain of shortages, inflation, the impact of refugees, concern about safety of nuclear plants and fears of nuclear attacks.

“Yet, be it the largest and the most acute, the war in Ukraine is one of nearly 30 armed conflicts worldwide. And none of them is improving,” he said.

One key issue that has received strong support from world leaders is the need to modernize the United Nations, revitalize the General Assembly and reform the Security Council.

“This is in line with my own conviction that the General Assembly should be ready to respond better to the interlocking crises and that the Security Council must reflect the realities of this century,” he said.

Nuclear blackmail won’t work

While the assembly session heard its last speakers, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a strong statement calling for an end to nuclear blackmail.

“The idea that any country could fight and win a nuclear war is deranged,” Guterres told a forum for the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, a priority that has so far eluded the organization’s decades-old efforts.

“The era of nuclear blackmail must end,” he said. “Any use of a nuclear weapon would incite a humanitarian Armageddon. We need to step back.”

President Vladimir Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine following serious setbacks in war efforts to conquer that country.

The UN said there are today more than 12,000 nuclear weapons and the countries that possess them have “well-funded and long-term plans to modernize their nuclear arsenals.”

“More than half of the world’s population still lives in countries that either have such weapons or are members of nuclear alliances. While the number of deployed nuclear weapons has appreciably declined since the height of the Cold War, not one nuclear weapon has been physically destroyed pursuant to a treaty. In addition, no nuclear disarmament negotiations are currently underway.”

The world’s known nuclear powers are the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, China and France. Those five countries are also permanent members with veto power in the 15-nation Security Council which can make decisions regarding global peace and security issues.

(By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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UN: Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons unacceptable

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New York, September 22 – UN Security Council members strongly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for threatening to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine and for trying to annex Ukrainian territories.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a council meeting on the war in Ukraine, “Every council member should send a clear message that these reckless nuclear threats must stop immediately.”

Foreign ministers of the council’s 15 countries attended the meeting. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected charges made by other council members about war crimes committed in Ukraine and he accused Western countries of supporting the war by arming the government in Ukraine.

The strong reaction against nuclear threats followed Putin’s order of partial mobilization of new Russian troops to fight in Ukraine and threat to “use all means available to us” if Russia is threatened.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guteres said, “This senseless war has unlimited potential to do terrible harm – in Ukraine, and around the world. The idea of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, has become a subject of debate. This in itself is totally unacceptable.”

“Any annexation of a state’s territory by another state resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the UN Charter and of international law,” he said.

Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court based at The Hague, Netherlands, said he had opened an investigation on alleged war crimes in Ukraine in March. He told the council that he planned to send new teams next week to gather evidence into possible war crimes in eastern Ukraine.

Khan said there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that crimes have been committed in the war. “The picture that I’ve seen so far is troubling indeed,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy virtually addressed the UN General Assembly on September 21 saying that crimes have been committed against Ukraine, “and we demand just punishment.”

“The crime was committed against our state borders. The crime was committed against the lives of our people. The crime was committed against the dignity of our women and men.

The crime was committed against the values that make you and me a community of the United Nations,” he said. “And Ukraine demands punishment for trying to steal our territory. Punishment for the murders of thousands of people. Punishment for tortures and humiliations of women and men.”

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