Victor Dolidze expresses unwavering support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine

24.09.2019 Geneva - The Permanent Representative of Georgia to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva delivered a statement in the fraem of the 42nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council, item 10, Interactive dialogue on the Oral update on Ukraine by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“We welcome High Commissioner’s update on Ukraine.

We remain deeply concerned by the humanitarian and human rights situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine - Crimean peninsula and parts of Donbas.

The Russian Federation, as the occupying power in Crimea, still has not granted OHCHR access therein in line with the relevant UNGA resolution (on the territorial integrity of Ukraine 68/262). Moreover, enforcement of the Russian legislation in Crimea constitutes derogation from the obligations that apply to Russia as the occupying power in accordance with the international humanitarian law.

Against this backdrop, unhindered and immediate access to the OHCHR and other international human rights monitoring mechanisms to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is of a critical importance. We continue to call on Russia to grant full, unhindered and immediate access to international monitoring mechanisms to the occupied territories of Ukraine.

We also call on the Russian Federation to implement all the recommendations contained in the present and previous reports.

My delegation reiterates Georgia’s unwavering support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.” – Victor Dolidze