Statement by the delegation of Ukraine at the UNGA Plenary meeting

Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly (Item 121)
Implementation of the Resolutions of the UN (Item 120)

(12 November 2024)

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues,

The delegation of Ukraine aligns itself with the statement on behalf of the European Union and the Joint Statement on the Representation of Women in UN Leadership. In my national capacity, I would like to highlight several significant points.

Firstly: Strengthening the Authority of the General Assembly

We congratulate Permanent Representatives of Romania, Ambassador Cornel Feruță, and the Republic of South Africa, Ambassador Mathu Joyini, on their appointment as co-chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on General Assembly Revitalization for the 79th Session. Ukraine fully supports your work.

As the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations, the General Assembly has a Charter-mandated responsibility to address issues impacting international peace and security.

This responsibility becomes even more pressing when a member state—the Russian Federation in this case—has effectively paralyzed this key body’s capacity to maintain peace and security in regard to its aggression against a neighboring sovereign state, Ukraine.

In such instances, the GA has a special obligation to uphold the core principles of the UN Charter. In this regard, we welcome the General Assembly’s readiness to act whenever a veto is cast in the Security Council. The veto initiative has proven to be an important measure in advancing accountability within the UN system.

Another crucial role for the UN community is safeguarding agenda items that represent the primary concerns of Member States. There was an unprecedented effort to undermine the Assembly’s authority by attempting to remove the item “The situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine” from the annual agenda. It is our collective duty to prevent such evasion and to hold accountable those responsible for grave violations of international law and the UN Charter.

The UNGA’s attention under this agenda item is vital to address Russia’s acts of terror and reprisals against civilians in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories. This year’s debate on this matter has captured widespread interest among Member States, underscoring its urgency.

Additionally, the adoption of resolution 78/316, titled “Safety and Security of Nuclear Facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” by the General Assembly this July under the above-mentioned agenda item, has further underscored the importance of this issue.

Therefore, I call on Member States to support the draft resolution titled “Situation of Human Rights in the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol” soon to be considered by the 3rd Committee. It provides the UN, its Secretariat, and the Monitoring Mission in Ukraine with a practical framework to continue monitoring and reporting on human rights conditions in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.

Secondly: Implementation of UN Resolutions

The issue of implementing General Assembly decisions remains an area for concerted action. The goal of revitalizing the GA must extend to include a focus on effective implementation, enhancing the entire revitalization effort.

The effectiveness of implementing adopted resolutions is often constrained by the level of Member States’ willingness to comply. Selective adherence undermines the UN’s ability to make tangible progress in critical situations on the ground.

A glaring example of this is Russia’s total disregard for the twenty-two General Assembly resolutions adopted since 2014 in response to its aggression against Ukraine.

In response to Russia’s misuse of its veto on the resolution condemning its full-scale invasion, the General Assembly’s 11th ESS was convened. Since then, the Assembly, supported by a strong majority of Member States, has adopted six resolutions, delivering a firm and clear message to the aggressor state that the Assembly is committed to defending the UN’s fundamental principles and values.

Despite these efforts, the world continues to witness grave violations of the UN Charter by the Russian Federation.

I wish to emphasize that strengthening the GA and ensuring the effectiveness of its decisions and their implementation are essential to restoring the United Nations’ legacy.

I thank you.