Thursday, November 15, 2018

UNGA's 3rd Committee endorses updated draft resolution on human rights in occupied Crimea


The Third Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) has endorsed the newly updated draft of the resolution titled: "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine." The relevant document was backed by 67 UN member states, 26 voted against it, 82 abstained. The following countries voted against: Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nicaragua, the Russian Federation, Serbia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. 

The Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations reported that the key elements of the draft resolution include a number of requirements for the Russian Federation as an occupying state. 

The text of the document states that the UN General Assembly affirms "that the seizure of Crimea by force is illegal and a violation of international law, and affirming also that those territories must be returned." 

It also condemns politically motivated persecutions of citizens of Ukraine and calls on Russia to free all Ukrainians who are illegally detained in the occupied Crimea and Russian territory. Illegally imprisoned Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, Crimean activist Volodymyr Balkuh and Crimean Tatars' human rights activist Emir-Huseyn Kuku are designated as political prisoners.



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