Russia-Ukraine Crisis: UNSC Passes First Unanimous Statement Calling For Maintenance Of Peace & Security
The short UNSC presidential statement does not mention the situation in Ukraine as "war," "conflict" or "invasion" as many council members call it
New Delhi: The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted its first statement on Ukraine since Russia's military action began on February 24 wherein it expressed "strong support" for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' efforts to find a peaceful solution to the 10-week "dispute." The 15-nation UN Security Council, under the current monthly Presidency of the United States, unanimously adopted the brief Presidential Statement calling for the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine.
According to the Associated Press, the short presidential statement does not mention the situation in Ukraine as "war," "conflict" or "invasion" as many council members call it, while Moscow refers to its offensive as a "special military operation".
The reason for the same is that Russia holds veto power in the council and has blocked all previous attempts to adopt a presidential statement that requires unanimity or a resolution.
Meanwhile, the statement "expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine" and "recalls that all member states have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means."
"The Security Council expressed strong support for the efforts of the secretary-general in the search for a peaceful solution," the statement notes while requesting Guterres to brief members "in due course".
Security Council Spoke With One Voice For Peace In Ukraine: UN Secretary-General
During recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the evacuation of civilians, especially from the besieged southeastern port city of Mauripol and the Azovstal steel plant where the last Ukrainian forces are holding out with hundreds of civilians in underground bunkers.
So far, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross have carried out two successful evacuations from Mariupol and surrounding areas and are currently in Mariupol organising a third evacuation from the steel plant, AP reported
Reacting to the council statement, Guterres said: "Today, for the first time, the Security Council spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine." "As I have often said, the world must come together to silence the guns and uphold the values of the UN Charter," the secretary-general said in a statement, as quoted by the AP.
UN Resolutions On Russia-Ukraine Crisis
On March 2, the assembly voted 141-5 with 35 abstentions in favour of a resolution demanding an immediate Russian ceasefire along with the withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. By a similar vote on March 24, it approved a resolution 140-5 with 38 abstentions blaming Moscow for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, urging an immediate ceasefire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools, and hospitals critical to their survival.
The General Assembly voted by a smaller margin of 93-24 with 58 abstentions on April 7 to suspend Russia from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, the UN's leading rights body, over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called tantamount to war crimes.
Notably, Guterres is scheduled to make a two-day visit to Ukraine's neighbour, Moldova, starting Monday to "express his solidarity and thank Moldova for its steadfast support for peace, and for its people's generosity in opening up their hearts and their homes to almost half a million Ukrainian refugees," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, a quoted by the AP.
The UN Secretary-General has called for the creation of a humanitarian committee comprising Russia, Ukraine, the UN, and ICRC to coordinate aid deliveries and evacuations.
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