Ukraine and the UN
Activities of Ukraine within the UN
In 1945, Ukraine became one of the co-founding members of the United Nations. The Delegation of Ukraine took an active part in the San Francisco Conference, making a significant contribution to the UN Charter creation (in particular, Ukraine coordinated the preparation of the UN Charter Preamble and Chapter 1 “Purposes and Principles section”). Ukraine had its own representation at the UN as de-jure independent country while being part of the Soviet Union until 1991. The repeated election of Ukraine as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the primary responsibility of which is to maintain peace and security, through 1948-1949, 1984 -1985, 2000-2001, and 2016-2017 periods, indicates the high authority of our country in the UN, both before and after 1991.
The United Nations Secretaries-General paid twelve visits to Ukraine: U Thant (visited in 1962), Kurt Waldheim (visited in 1981), Javier Pérez de Cuellar (visited in 1987), Boutros Boutros-Ghali (visited in 1993), Kofi Annan (visited in 2002) , Ban Ki-moon (visited in 2011, 2014, and 2015), and António Guterres (visited in 2017, April and August 2022, March 2023).
Ukraine attaches significant importance to the strengthening of the UN as a center of multilateral efforts aimed at tackling complex challenges. Our country proceeds from the need to properly implement the UN summits’ final documents on sustainable development, further reform the UN, particularly the Security Council, increase the effectiveness of Security Council’s activities, and strengthen the role of the UN General Assembly as the most representative political body in the world with 193 states members in it.
Countering russian aggression
The primary task of Ukrainian diplomacy within the UN remains the countering of russian aggression since February 20, 2024. In addition, Ukrainian diplomatic efforts at the UN are focused on restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and ending moscow's gross violations of the modern world order based on the UN Charter.
In the conditions of the ongoing aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the adoption of resolutions by the UN General Assembly has important political and international legal significance: 68/262 (03.27.2014) "Territorial integrity of Ukraine"; 71/205 (12.19.2016), 72/190 (12.19.2017), 73/263 (12.22.2018), 74/168 (12.18.2019), 75/192 (12.16.2020), 76/179 (12.16.2021) and 77/229 (12.15.2022) "Situation of human rights in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine"; 78/221 (12.19.2023) "Situation of human rights in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine"; 73/194 (12.17.2018), 74/17 (12.09.2019), 75/29 (12.07.2020), 76/70 (12.09.2021) "Problem of the militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov"; 78/316 (11.07.2024) "Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant", and the annual inclusion in the UN General Assembly agenda the item "Situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine", which was considered, starting in 2018, on 02.20.2019, 02.20.2020, 02.23.2021, 02.23.2022, 07.18.2023, and 02.24.2024, respectively.
With the beginning of russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the diplomatic service of our country has been actively using all possible political and diplomatic measures within the UN framework to repel the russian armed aggression, consolidate international support and block the aggressor on international platforms.
The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2623 (2022) on February 27th, 2022, calling for 11th emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly. An emergency special session was called due to the russian federation's use of veto during the voting on the UN Security Council draft resolution condemning its aggression and ending the use of force (S/2022/155 on 02.15.2022).
Member States approved six resolutions within the framework of 11th emergency special session:
1. “Aggression against Ukraine” (adopted on March 2, 2022).
2. “Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine” (adopted on March 24, 2022).
3. “Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council” (adopted on April 7, 2022).
4. “Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations” (adopted on October 12, 2022).
5. “Furtherance of remedy and reparation for aggression against Ukraine” (adopted on November 14, 2022).
6. “Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” (adopted on February 23, 2023).
Along with the UN Security Council procedural decision of 02.27.2022, an important document adopted after the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the President of the UN Security Council issued a statement regarding Ukraine on May 6, 2022. Given the consensual nature of this document, its content was limited to expressing concern about maintaining the peace and security of Ukraine, referring to the provisions of the UN Charter regarding the need to settle international disputes by peaceful means, and supporting the efforts of the UN Secretary-General in finding ways of peaceful settlement.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs ensured the inclusion of a permanent Security Council agenda item “Maintenance of Peace and Security of Ukraine.” This inclusion of an item gives the Council an opportunity to consider any relevant questions related to peace and security of Ukraine, including problems of russian aggression against Ukraine, providence of security guarantees to Ukraine after the end of war, and maintanance of peace and recovery of Ukraine.
Ukraine involved the United Nations in the negotiations regarding the evacuation of civilians and military personnel from Mariupol and regarding the creation of grain export conditions. As a result of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visit to Ukraine in April 2022, the first evacuation of civilians from Mariupol surrounded by russian troops and Azovstal plant military personnel was led by the UN.
The negotiations regarding the export release from Ukrainian seaports actively involved the UN Secretariat. The Secretary-General facilitated the Istanbul Communiqué, signed on July 22, 2022 in Turkey, and the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative after November 18, 2022; March 18, 2023 and May 18, 2023. The unilateral withdrawal of the Russian Federation from the Black Sea Grain Initiative led to its suspension on July 18, 2023.
In March 2014 upon the invitation of Government of Ukraine the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, which monitors the situation in all temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, was deployed in Ukraine.
Nine UN Secretary-General reports "Situation of human rights in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine" based on the resolution under the same name already became important for recording massive systematic gross human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories. Through reports the UN Security-General appealed to the russian federation as an occupying power to stop gross violations of human rights and comply with all its obligations in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights laws.
The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva established the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine in March 2022. The Commission of Inquiry is authorized to investigate all alleged violations and abuses in the field of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law and related crimes in the context of russian aggression against Ukraine to ensure responsibility for committed crimes.
Situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Temporarily Occupied by russia
An important dimension of the Ukrainian delegation work has become the response to the temporary russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the use of political and diplomatic efforts. The efforts primarily focused on increasing pressure on the aggressor state to demilitarize, deoccupy, and return the plant to the full control of Ukraine. In this context, a number of the UN Security Council meetings have been convened to inform international community of the existing threats to the nuclear security of Ukraine and Europe, related to the occupiers’ shelling of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and other numerous violations of nuclear safety and security norms, as well as attracting the support of UN Member States to ensure the return of a peaceful nuclear facility under the full control of our state.
Participation of Ukraine in the UN Peacekeeping Operations
Ukraine has always considered its participation in UN peacekeeping operations as an important contribution to the common cause of countering threats to international peace and security. Before the beginning of the war, more than 300 Ukrainian blue helmets performed tasks as part of six UN missions. Ukrainian personnel, in particular the 18th separate helicopter detachment, was an important part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Unfortunately, with the beginning of the war, Ukraine withdrew its entire forces and personnel from international peacekeeping missions.
International Security Issues
The Delegation of Ukraine takes an active part in discussing a wide range of international security issues, including disarmament, arms control, non-proliferation and cyber security. The UN First Committee Disarmament and International Security remains one of the main UN forums for consideration of relevant issues.
As a participant in all international conventions and protocols tackling terrorism, Ukraine takes an active part in the UN counter-terrorism activities.
Human Rights
Ukraine is an active participant of the UN bodies’ activities in the field of human rights. Our country is a party to all the main UN human rights documents, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Optional Protocols thereto, and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Ukraine is also an active participant in international cooperation to achieve sustainable development aimed at comprehensively solving problems concerning environmental protection, social development and economic growth at the global, regional and national levels.
The Delegation of Ukraine acted as the principal initiator and organizer of the preparatory process for the convening of UN General Assembly first special session Problem of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in All its Aspects in June 2001. Our state actively uses the UN's capabilities to fight HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis by involving UN bodies’ project and technical assistance.
Fight against Climate Change
Ukraine takes a visible part in the UN efforts to combat climate change. Our country is a member of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol and was among the first countries to ratify the Paris Agreement in 2016.
Our country receives significant technical, advisory and financial assistance from UN Specialized Agencies, its funds and programs, in particular, in the areas of democratic governance, overcoming poverty, achieving national Sustainable Development Goals, supporting public administration, combating HIV/AIDS and other serious diseases, and environment protection.
The UN-Ukraine Partnership Framework (2018-2022) provides the aid from the UN to the development field, which includes projects implemented in Ukraine by all institutions of the UN system. The priorities of such projects are 1) sustainable economic growth, environment and employment; 2) equal access to quality and inclusive services and social protection; 3) democratic governance and rule of law; 4) security of citizens, social cohesion, and recovery with a special emphasis on the Eastern Ukraine. The budget of the Partnership Framework has 667 million US dollars, which involves extra resources for the implementation of these projects.
Humanitarian Action
The Subsidiary bodies of the UN system (UNHCR, OCHR, UNDP, WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, etc.) have strengthened their cooperation with the Government of Ukraine since 2014. These agencies provided humanitarian aid and implemented various projects aimed at overcoming the consequences of the russian aggression against Ukraine.
The UN system organizations implemented Ukraine Humanitarian Response Plans in Ukraine every year since April 2014 until the russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Relevant Government ministries of Ukraine carried out the coordination and preparation of the Response Plans.
The UN Entities in Ukraine are implementing their largest humanitarian operation to ensure a humanitarian response to the russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The process of UN Entities’ activities expansion continues.
The mobilization of financial resources to support the UN humanitarian activities in Ukraine is carried out as part of the Flash Appeal since the beginning of the russian full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. Flash Appeal framework mobilized 3.775 US billion dollars, or 88% of the planned expanses (4.3 billion US dollars) for humanitarian response in Ukraine during 2022.
According to the UN estimates, various UN agencies and partners provided humanitarian aid to approximately 13.5 million Ukrainians during 2022. In particular, 2.7 million people received assistance with getting housing or critical basic necessities, including clothing, heating devices and other goods necessary for preparing for winter; 6.9 million people received water and hygiene items; 8.9 million people received food; 8.9 million people received medical services; 5.1 million people received cash assistance (accumulated over 1.1 billion US dollars), and 6.3 million people received social and legal protection services. The hospitals, schools, heating points, and collective sites received generators to fulfill the growing demand for heating and electricity in the context of energy crisis.
The separate Regional Refugee Response Plan, overseen by UNHCR Office in Geneva, helped to mobilize 1.85 billion US dollars throughout 2022. The Regional Response Plan involves the provision of support to the states neighboring Ukraine, which host refugees from Ukraine, in order to ensure international protection and provide humanitarian assistance to refugees from Ukraine.
The Humanitarian Response Plan in Ukraine and Regional Refugee Response Plan 2023 involved provision of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine amounting to 3.9 billion US dollars for 11.1 million Ukrainians. Out of 11.1 million, 3.8 million Ukrainians are internally displaced people, 4.8 million have not changed their location, and 2.5 million Ukrianians came back to the places of their permanent residence. Following the results of 2023, donors provided 3.25 US billion dollars, or 68.1% of planned expenses. This is the highest quantitative indicator among all UN humanitarian national response plans (the average indicator is 38% of needs). In addition, 562 million US dollars was received outside of the plan.
UN Humanitarian Response Plans 2024
In Geneva, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN Martin Griffiths and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi presented to the international community the UN Humanitarian Response Plan in Ukraine and Regional Refugee Response Plan on January 15, 2024. They urged donors to allocate 4.2 billion US dollars to support war-affected communities in Ukraine, Ukrainian refugees and host communities in the region: 3.1 billion US dollars allocated to help 8.5 million people in Ukraine, 1.1 billion US dollars allocated to support 2.3 million Ukrainian citizens who were forced to leave abroad and their host communities.
According to the UN estimates, 14.6 million people, or almost 40% of Ukraine’s population will need humanitarian assistance in 2024. It is worth noting that although the number of displaced people in need of assistance has decreased from 6.3 million in 2023 to 3.6 million during the plan development in 2024, the number of non-displaced people affected by the war has increased significantly - from 6.9 million in 2023 to 8.5 million. On the other hand, the number of people who returned home and needed support decreased from 4.4 million to 2.6 million.
The UN prioritized the aid provision to 870,000 people from vulnerable population groups in 2024. Based on such estimates, the UN identified the need to provide vital aid in the amount of 350 million US dollars. The most urgent needs are medical supplies and services, food and drinking water, and means of existence.
The aid package will include such areas:
• Coordination and management of placement facilities for IDPs location with a planned budget of 16.9 million US dollars for the needs of 157,000 people;
• Education with planned budget of 98.3 million US dollars for the needs of 989,000 people;
• Telecommunications in emergency situations with planned budget of 1.5 million US dollars;
• Food security and means of existence with respect planned budget 700.6 million US dollars for the needs of 3.4 million people;
• Healthcare with planned budget of 145 million US dollars for the needs of 3.8 million people;
• Logistics with planned budget of 6.9 million US dollars;
• General protection with planned budget of 182.8 million US dollars for the needs of 3 million people;
• Children protection with planned budget of 139.6 million US dollars for the needs of 2.2 million people;
• Gender-based violence with planned budget 58.1 million US dollars for the needs of 811,000 people;
• Anti-mine activity with planned budget 87.7 million US dollars for the needs of 2 million people;
• Housing and non-food items with planned budget of 604.3 million US dollars for the needs of 3.9 million people;
• Water supply, sanitation and hygiene with planned budget of 410.7 million US dollars for the needs of 4.9 million people;
• Joint coordination services with planned budget of 12.5 million US dollars.
As of April 25, 2024, 567 million US dollars, or 18.2% of planned expenses was gathered within ОСНА Ukraine Humanitarian Response Plan framework.
UN Assistance in the Energy Sector
Overall, UN Entities transferred/ordered 5,175 generators in Ukraine, in particular: 1,810 transferred by the International Organization for Migration; 1,081 – by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS); 411 – by the World Health Organization; 352 – by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR); 329 - by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); and 321 - by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Ukraine Winter Response Plan 2023-2024
A separate additional humanitarian response plan envisions the involvement of donor funds in the amount of 435 million US dollars for the needs of more than 1.7 million people across Ukraine. The plan aims to prepare Ukrainians for winter from October 2023 to March 2024.
The plan provides priority assistance to communities located in combat and near-frontline zones, including Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. The first priority is the repair of centralized heat supply systems. In addition, critical institutions, such as hospitals, clinics and social institutions received the support in the form of mobile boiler rooms or other heating systems. The plan also envisions the providence of building materials for house repairs, as well as winter clothing, heating devices and other vital items.
In regions, where a large number of IDPs live, including the Kyiv City, Lviv and Odesa oblasts, the priority of the plan will be to support IDPs in collective sites by providing sites’ repair and winter materials. Across the country, humanitarian organizations will also assist IDPs with renting and insulating damaged homes. Similar to areas near the front line, the nationwide response will also include the repair and maintenance of energy and heating systems damaged or affected by military action to ensure vital services delivery.
UN officials have repeatedly publicly emphasized that the russian federation does not provide humanitarian access for UN assistance to the Ukrainian temporarily occupied territories.
Upon approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukrainian involved authorities signed bilateral agreements with UNHCR, UNICEF, the UN World Food Program, and the International Organization for Migration. Through bilateral cooperation, the citizens of Ukraine who suffered from the full-scale armed aggression of the russian federation will receive multi-purpose monetary and other types of assistance. UN Organizations also sign memorandums of cooperation with oblast state administrations.
Issue with Chornobyl
Mitigation and minimization of the long-term consequences of the Chornobyl disaster is one of the important areas of cooperation between the Government of Ukraine and the UN. Since 1990, the UN General Assembly has approved a resolution on strengthening international cooperation and efforts coordination in studying, mitigating, and minimizing the consequences of the Chornobyl disaster (since 1993 - on a two-year basis, and since 2007 - on a three-year basis). In July 2022, belarus initiated a draft decision to postpone the consideration of the relevant item on the agenda and the UN Secretary-General report presentation to the General Assembly on the resolution implementation until the 78th session. In this regard, Ukraine took measures to oppose the approval of this decision, and as the result, the member states rejected the draft decision approval through the UN General Assembly vote. In May 2023, at the initiative of Ukraine, which for the first time acted as the sole resolution author, the UN General Assembly approved by consensus an updated document that approves the continuation of UN projects implementation in the areas affected by the Chornobyl disaster. Currently, the UN's approach to the problems related to Chornobyl consists in reviewing and resuming the implementation of projects that were suspended after the beginning of the russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Especially it is related to the projects that aimed to provide humanitarian aid and support the socio-economic development of the affected territories but stopped operating after russia’s temporary occupation of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Zone of Alienation until March 31, 2022.
Electoral Activity
The electoral activity of Ukraine is intense. During its membership in the UN, Ukraine was elected seven times as a member of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and four times as a member of the UN Human Rights Council (the last time Ukraine was re-elected for 2021-2023 term).
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Hennadiy Udovenko was elected in 1997 to the highest position in the Organization, the President of the United Nations General Assembly's 52nd session. Ukraine is particularly proud of the fact that the 52nd session of the UN General Assembly, known as the "reform session", proposed by its then Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and provided a powerful impetus to a large-scale UN reform.
In 2011, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine served as the Vice-Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) during our membership in the PBC in 2011-2012. In June 2018 Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations was elected Vice-President of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. In 2020, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine was elected Vice-Chairman of ECOSOC for 2020-2021 term. In 2022, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN was elected as Vice-Chairman of the Bureau of the Executive Board of UN-Women, and in 2023 - Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Bureau of the Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS. In addition, Ukraine joined the UN Commission on the Status of Women at its 69th session.
Today, Ukraine is a member of such UN bodies as the Economic and Social Council (2019-2021), the Human Rights Council (2018-2020, re-elected for 2021-2023), the Commission on Social Development (2020-2023), the Commission on Population and Development (2021-2024), the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (2016-2021), the Committee on Conferences (2019-2021), the Bureau of the Committee on Information (2019-2021), the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (2020-2023), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL, 2019-2025), the Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS (2019-2021), the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (2019-2020), the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (2011-2020).
In addition, Ukraine is nominated to ECOSOC for 2026-2028 term and to the UN Human Rights Council for 2027-2029, the UN Security Council for 2046-2047 term, as well as for the position of the Prexident of UN General Assembly’s 102nd session (elections in 2047).