Human Rights Council 37: Ukraine
This UK statement was delivered at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council during the Interactive Dialogue on the UN Deputy High Commissioner's oral update on Ukraine, held on 21 March 2018.
The Human Rights Council takes place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva
The UK would like to thank the Deputy High Commissioner for her update. We welcome the 21st report of the OHCHR Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. It shows a continuing trend of civilian casualties in eastern Ukraine which is deeply concerning: 73 people, including children, killed or wounded since November 2017. The conflict is endangering the population on a daily basis. We call on all sides to the conflict to do more to protect civilians and improve the humanitarian situation.
The report highlights the continued denial of access to OHCHR monitors to places of detention in Donetsk and Luhansk non-government controlled areas. Allegations of torture, enforced disappearances and sexual violence, committed in the context of unlawful detention, must be investigated and prosecuted. We condemn the ongoing impunity for these crimes.
The ongoing worsening of the human rights situation in illegally annexed Crimea is of grave concern. The de facto authorities continue to deny international monitoring organisations access. We call on the Russian Federation to grant access, in line with UN General Assembly resolution 72/190. We condemn the use of torture and transfer of Ukrainian citizens into prisons in Russia. And we call on the Russian Federation to stop the forced conscription of Crimean residents into its armed forces in breach of international law.
According to previous HRMMU reports, there has been a continuous inflow of military equipment and personnel from the Russian Federation. Please could you provide an update for this reporting period?