Madame President,

 

My delegation attaches particular attention to the issue of Women, Peace and Security and thanks you for convening this debate, as well as today’s briefers for their useful insights into this important topic.

UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), adopted 15 years ago, established the basis for the women, peace and security agenda, called for special protection and full and equal participation of women in all conflict prevention, resolution and post-conflict peacebuilding efforts. This resolution has proven to be an effective instrument for Member States to implement their policies in this important area. Ukraine remains fully committed to the implementation of the resolution and actively supports international eforts aimed at addressing the full range of human rights violations and abuses faced by women in armed conflict and post-conflict situations.

In Ukraine a National Action Plan in accordance with the SC resolution 1325 is being developed by the Government, in close consultations with the UN and OSCE agencies as well as civil society. We expect this document to be adopted in 2015. My delegation also looks forward to the global review of the implementation of 1325 in 2015 which will provide an additional impetus to fulfilling our common commitments on women, peace and security.

Ukraine is alarmed by the fact that civilians still constitute the majority of casualties in armed conflicts worldwide. Many of them are women and girls. Their number keeps growing dramatically. We are deeply worried over the disproportionate impact on women by armed conflicts.

In my country terrorist groups armed, financed and supported by the Russian Federation continue to operate openly in some areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Further ignoring the calls of the international community, the Russian Federation keeps intensifying its interference into the internal affairs of Ukraine by stirring up separatism, exporting terrorism, inciting ethnic tensions and provoking violent confrontations in the Eastern regions. Clearly, all those actions would not have been possible without the involvement of the Russian authorities.

Civilians, including women and children, continue to die from Russian bullets and shells. In its recent report, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine finds that, from mid-April 2014 to 15 February 2015, at least 5,665 people (including at least 375 women and 63 children) were killed and at least 13,961 (including at least 630 women and 159 children) were wounded as a result of Russia-provoked conflict in Donbas.

According to the latest official statistics, the number of the internally displaced persons in Ukraine stands at 1,198,000 IDPs. About two thirds of adult IDPs are women. The Government fully understands their specific needs, as most IDP families include elderly and unaccompanied women with children. The Law of Ukraine on IDPs adopted on 20 October 2014 was welcomed by the international community, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This Law is aimed at ensuring the rights and freedoms of IDPs, including women, and at addressing key issues in this area, inter alia through facilitating humanitarian assistance.

On 5 March 2015 Ukraine’s legislation on IDPs was amended in order to strengthen their social protection, including through addressing the issue of unemployment.

Madame President,

I would like to draw your attention to the facts of abductions and illegal “transfers” of Ukrainian nationals from the territory of Ukraine into the Russian Federation for the so-called “criminal prosecutions”.

A political prisoner, member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Nadiya Savchenko is still being detained in Russia with no legal grounds and despite the fact that under the Minsk arrangements all hostages and illegally detained persons must be released. We demand Nadiya Savchenko to be immediately released and those involved in her abduction and illegal detention to be brought to justice.

The Government of Ukraine is undertaking a number of targeted steps in order to address the challenges that the ongoing foreign aggression places on women in Ukraine. In parallel with elaboration of the National Action Plan on the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, my Government will continue to ensure women’s greater participation in political, economic and social life.

Making full use of knowledge, skills and experience of Ukrainian women is vital to reaching a solution to the current crisis in and around Ukraine. We encourage the United Nations, in particular UN Women, to actively contribute to this end.

Thank you.