UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday that evidence of “shocking violations” of human rights in the war in Ukraine, mainly committed by Russia, had been documented, stressing that this documentation will be “vital” for future accountability.
In an open debate in the United Nations (UN) Security Council on the conflict in Ukraine, Guterres indicated that evidence of sexual violence, arbitrary arrests and summary executions – “mainly by the Russian Federation” – had been collected by UN agencies, as well as the forcible transfer of Ukrainian citizens, including children, to territory under Russian control or to Russian Federation.
“This documentation is critical for accountability. Accountability for all human rights violations is crucial, in accordance with international norms and standards,” Guterres emphasized in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Next Wednesday’s debate, chaired by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, marks Zelensky’s personal intervention in the Security Council.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, criticized Albania’s prioritization of Zelensky in the speech regarding the permanent members of the Security Council, arguing that this was a violation of the body’s procedures.
“We have a solution for that: stop the war and President Zelensky will not have to speak here anymore,” Edi Rama replied after an exchange with Nebenzya.
Source: DN
