UN Human Rights Council 55: Statement on the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine
UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. Delivered by the UK's Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley.
Thank you, Mr President,
Just last month we marked two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Two years of atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people.
Commissioners,
As you have concluded, several of these atrocities amount to war crimes and some may amount to crimes against humanity. We also support the investigations of the ICC, and note its recent indictments, as well as Ukraine’s national investigations.
Russia’s indiscriminate attacks on civilian objects continued unabated. That’s not new, as your most recent report highlights in the case of the siege of Mariupol. We welcome your intention to investigate whether the siege may itself constitute a crime against humanity.
Amid the countless violations which you report, we, like so many others here, remain appalled by the mounting evidence of the systematic and widespread use of torture, including sexual violence against Ukrainian civilian detainees and prisoners of war, and the deportation of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation.
Too few children have been returned, and indeed, shamefully, many have, reportedly been forcibly adopted. It’s a despicable attempt to erase Ukrainian identity. But it won’t succeed. Putin will lose. Ukraine will prevail. And those responsible for these crimes will be held to account.
Commissioners,
How has the current liquidity crisis affected your mandate?