Ukraine, 2012

On behalf of

Ukraine, I sincerely congratulate Mr. Vuk Jeremić on

his election as President of the General Assembly at its

sixty-seventh session. I wish him every success in the

post and hope that all his actions bear fruit.

The theme of this year’s debate, “Bringing about

adjustment or settlement of international disputes or

situations by peaceful means”, is always a pressing

one. That imperative was enshrined in the Charter of

the United Nations by its founding members, including

Ukraine. I am convinced that the fundamental principle

of the peaceful settlement of disputes remains today

the cornerstone of the modern system of international

relations. It is the underlying mission of our Organization

and the immediate duty of every Member State.

Today, we are closely watching the situation in

Syria, which remains extremely alarming. Ukraine

shares the deep concern of the international community

regarding the escalation of violence in that country. We

call on all relevant parties to make every effort to settle

the conflict on the basis of respect for the principles of

the Charter of the United Nations and the universally

recognized principles of international law.

The people of Ukraine have never been and will

never be indifferent to human suffering. We make no

distinction between our grief and that of others. Last

year, thanks to Ukraine’s humanitarian mission to

Libya, people of many nationalities, mostly women and

children, were evacuated and saved from hostilities. In

referring to that case, we are speaking not just about

one action but about Ukraine’s resolute intention to use

its capabilities to protect civilian populations in hot

spots.

That is why this year, when the situation in Syria

deteriorated, we immediately evacuated the first group

of Ukrainian and Polish citizens who had stated their

intention to return home. Let me assure the Assembly

that any Ukrainian aircraft and ships available for

evacuation purposes in hot spots will always be at

the disposal of those in need of help, regardless of

their nationality. Ukraine has approved a decision to

extend humanitarian assistance using United Nations

mechanisms to Syria’s internally displaced persons and

refugees. I am confident that through the joint efforts of

the international community we will manage to ensure

the safety of the civilian population in Syria. I believe

in international solidarity in that regard.

Recently, on 11 September, we witnessed the

tragic attack on the United States consulate in Libya.

Ukraine roundly condemns any act of violence against

diplomatic missions and their personnel.

For many years, Ukraine has actively supported

the expansion of preventive diplomacy in international

relations, with, of course, the leading role played by

the United Nations. Guided by that approach, Ukraine

initiated a dialogue in the Human Rights Council on the

prevention of human rights violations, in particular by

initiating a relevant thematic resolution.

Mr. Kanda (Ghana), Vice-President, took the Chair.

Ensuring early conflict prevention was among

the key elements stressed by Ukraine during its first

membership in the Security Council as an independent

State, in 2000-2001. We also are conducting relevant

work in the Peacebuilding Commission. The same goal

features among the priorities of Ukraine’s chairmanship

of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in

Europe (OSCE) in 2013.

We intend, during our OSCE chairmanship, to

make every effort to strengthen security in our region

and to consolidate the democratic institutions of

Member States. We will also promote the enhancement

of the OSCE’s efficiency as a regional organization,

in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the

United Nations. We will also underscore the need for

new impetus to be given to the resolution of protracted

conflicts in Europe and to address new threats and

challenges to security, in particular energy security.

We will strive to increase OSCE efficiency in early

conflict prevention. The Ukrainian chairmanship will

actively contribute to the deepening of international cooperation and dialogue so as to maintain stability,

resolve crisis situations and ensure post-conflict

reconstruction. We will devote special attention to

negotiations on the Transdniestria conflict; Ukraine

has for many years actively participated in efforts to

settle that conflict.

We will promote in every possible way the Nagorno

Karabakh settlement process, as well as the Geneva

discussions on security and stability in the Caucasus.

I would like to stress that Ukraine, as a non-bloc

State, cannot but be concerned with the erosion of

the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

We consider that international legal document to be

a cornerstone of stability on the continent and that

therefore States parties should make every effort to

ensure its fully fledged and efficient application.

Ukraine, in the framework of its OSCE

chairmanship, will therefore pay special attention to

the resolution of the crisis surrounding that Treaty.

Peaceful settlement and conflict prevention will be the

foundation and the starting point of Ukraine’s activities

if it is elected to non-permanent membership in the

Security Council for 2016-2017.

At the beginning of this year, Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon made public a five-year Action Agenda

for the Organization. We fully support the priorities

identified in the agenda and consider them a road map

for United Nations activities in the near future.

We are currently going through a period of

unprecedented change. Unfortunately, and especially

in view of the world crisis, there are global tendencies

towards the stagnation of economic development,

growing poverty and social inequality, and increasing

instability in certain States and regions.

It stands to reason that the only way to effectively

counteract those threats is for the international

community to deploy joint efforts. In that regard, we

deem it especially advisable to increase the efficiency

of international cooperation among security and law-

enforcement agencies, develop best practices for

addressing new challenges and threats, and introduce

reliable confidence-building measures.

It should be noted that this year’s United Nations

Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) left

open a number of issues, given the close interconnection

of the environmental and socioeconomic aspects of

modern life. However, we view the Rio+20 Conference as an important milestone in the development of

international cooperation under the auspices of the

United Nations in that sphere. The outcome document

of the Conference has proved the ability of countries

of different political and economic weights to reach a

compromise, even in today’s difficult times.

We support the complex approach that has been

initiated in connection with sustainable energy for

all, sustainable consumption and production, the

elimination of hunger, and ensuring urban infrastructure

development.

Ukraine welcomes the decision of the Conference

to consolidate the United Nations Environment

Programme with a view to a system-based management

of the whole complex spectrum of environmental

problems.

We deeply appreciate the establishment of a high-

level political forum on sustainable development and

the creation of an intergovernmental working group

that will chart post-2015 sustainable development

goals. That theme is of special interest for Ukraine,

as demonstrated by the voluntary presentation of

Ukraine’s national achievements with respect to the

Millennium Development Goals, which took place

at the Economic and Social Council in July. I avail

myself of this opportunity to assure the Assembly that

participation in the sustainable development efforts of

the United Nations will remain Ukraine’s unwavering

priority.

Global, man-made climate change represents a

threat on a planetary scale. Therefore, we consider

efforts to counteract that challenge to be a priority task

for humankind as a whole. Let me note that Ukraine

has voluntarily acceded to the second commitment

period of the Kyoto Protocol, undertaking to reduce

its greenhouse-gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020.

Bearing that in mind, Ukraine will also promote

discussions, in the framework of its future OSCE

chairmanship, on the environmental impact of energy-

related man-made activity, energy efficiency and the

use of renewable energy sources.

Turning to international security problems, I

should like to stress that Ukraine is deeply committed

to the cause of bringing about a safer and more secure

world. That commitment emanates from the national

conscience of the people of Ukraine, who have

experienced the scourge of war, totalitarianism and

artificial famines, as well as the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, the largest man-made disaster in

human history.

Therefore, Ukraine’s aspiration to save the world

from tragedies similar to those that we have experienced

stems from the very hearts of the Ukrainians people.

During the more than two decades of its independence,

Ukraine has been a steadfast supporter of global

nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. We have

voluntarily renounced the third-largest nuclear arsenal

in the world; we kept our word this year and completed

the removal of the last stocks of highly enriched

uranium from our country.

I consider those important steps, as well as

the Kyiv Summit on the Safe and Innovative Use

of Nuclear Energy, held last year, to be examples

worthy of following. I also view in that light the joint

declaration by Ukraine, Mexico and Chile — countries

that have made special efforts to neutralize the risks

of the exploitation of highly enriched uranium. The

declaration remains open for signing. Unfortunately,

the ambitious goal of the gradual complete liquidation

of nuclear weapons remains unachieved.

In that regard, we insist that the security guarantees

for States that have renounced their nuclear stockpiles

and made other strategic concessions should be

reflected in internationally binding legal instruments.

This year Ukraine marked the twentieth anniversary

of its participation in United Nations peacekeeping

operations.

I am truly proud of the contribution of the sons and

daughters of Ukraine — servicemen, law enforcement

officers and civilian personnel who have served and

continue to serve the noble ideals of peace under the

United Nations f lag. During these years, over 34,000

Ukrainians have performed noble peacekeeping

missions in over 20 international operations under the

United Nations mandate, from Guatemala to Timor-

Leste, from Croatia to Mozambique. The experience

they have acquired gives Ukraine the right to speak

about achievements and advantages, as well as

about problematic issues in modern United Nations

peacekeeping operations. The latter include the

threatening situation related to air mobility and legal

gaps in investigations of crimes committed against Blue

Helmets. I count on the continued support of Ukraine’s

initiatives aimed at resolving the current problems

facing United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Ukraine welcomes the successful completion of the

General Assembly’s High-level Meeting on the rule of

law that took place here in New York on 24 September.

At the Meeting, Ukraine announced the political

obligations that we will fulfil consistently. We are

certain that international efforts to ensure the rule of

law should remain centred around the United Nations.

At the same time, relevant international

organizations should continue to play an important role

in that sphere. For Ukraine, such an organization would

be the Council of Europe and its Venice Commission

in particular. Our close cooperation with the Council

and the Commission has assisted us in making steady

reforms to ensure the rule of law and thereby realize

our aspirations to European integration. That process

is actively promoted by Ukraine’s Constitutional

Assembly, a special political institution established to

find a nationwide consensus on the provisions of the

basic law. In the course of constructing and developing

Ukraine’s Constitution, we will study and take into

account best practices from other countries.

I am deeply confident that global advances in each of

the crucial areas I have mentioned would be impossible

without a United Nations that is more efficient, viable

and updated to the realities of the twenty-first century.

The key here is to deepen United Nations reform,

and primarily that of the Security Council. Ukraine’s

position is well known. We are ready to discuss all

progressive concepts of Security Council reform

capable of achieving the broadest possible consensus

among States Members of the United Nations. The

latter invariably make allowances for the legitimate

requirements of all regional groups, in particular those

of Eastern Europe.

Only the United Nations is up to the task of

strengthening humankind to face contemporary

challenges. The united will of all 193 Member States

represents an overwhelming force capable of coping

with the most complicated global crises. We must

strengthen and preserve our unity. I believe that the

sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly will be

conducive to that noble goal.