Statement by the delegation of Ukraine at the UNGA meeting
on agenda item 28 “Report of the Security Council”

(11 June 2025)

 

Mr. President,

The delegation of Ukraine would like to thank you for convening this meeting to discuss the report of the Security Council on its activities in 2024.

We also thank Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett for presenting the Report to the UN General Assembly. The delegation of Ukraine would like to take this opportunity to commend her for the excellent job the Co-operative Republic of Guyana has done so far in steering the Council’s work in June.

Like many UN Member States, Ukraine remains convinced that such reports must be elevated from compendiums of mostly technical information to analytical documents, applicable in our collective efforts to restore the efficacy of the Council.

The Russian Federation’s actions in the Security Council, following its aggression against Ukraine, clearly show how the misuse and instrumentalization of the Council's toolbox can severely undermine its ability to respond effectively and carry out its mandate under the UN Charter to maintain international peace and security.

It is critically important to recall the root cause of this failure—namely, the presence in the Council’s permanent seat of a country that is carrying out armed aggression against a sovereign, peace-loving state, and that has been recognized by the UN General Assembly as an aggressor.

However, this shameful situation does not change the fact that serving justice is inevitable. The sooner the Russian aggression and war crimes are ended, and justice is served, the sooner the Security Council can restore its effectiveness in fulfilling its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

Mr. President,

Russia’s misuse and manipulation of the Council’s tools aim to divert attention, distort realities, and induce fatigue among Council members regarding the issue of aggression and ongoing war against Ukraine.

We have observed from year to year several destructive practices in this regard, in particular:

• spamming the agenda with questions that hardly align with the Council’s mandate, particularly ideological and politically motivated topics;
• retaliating against meetings under the agenda item “Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine” by requesting another Ukraine-related meeting the following day or shortly thereafter;
• blocking the Presidency’s monthly programmes if the draft contains meetings under the agenda item “Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.”

All of the above practices lead to the further discrediting of the Council and undermine its integrity.

Ukraine believes that, in order to make annual reports a useful tool for safeguarding the credibility of the Council, these problems must be openly identified in the text of the report.

It is also important to use accurate and appropriate terminology. We reiterate that the term “conflict in Ukraine,” used in the Report, is not an appropriate option. This conflict involves two parties, and one of them has been recognized by UNGA resolutions as the aggressor and instigator. We do not believe that concealing this fact by using vague or inaccurate terminology contributes to the credibility of the document.

We encourage Council members to continue exploring new ways to improve the preparation of annual reports of the Security Council to the UN General Assembly, as well as to upgrade the Council’s overall working methods.

Thank you.