On Wednesday, December 16 the UN General Assembly adopted an updated Ukrainian resolution "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine. The new elements of the resolution reflect numerous facts of gross human rights violations on the temporarily occupied peninsula.
This was stated by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba on the official website of MFA press service.
In the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed, that the resolution clearly defines the illegitimacy of the bodies and officials of the Russian Federation in Crimea in the context of strengthening the international policy of non-recognition of the attempted annexation of Crimea. It has been stated for the first time at the UN level, that such officials should be considered only as "occupation authorities of the Russian Federation."
“The document states that Russia does not fulfil its international obligations in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law. It is noted that the level of human rights in Crimea after its occupation by Russia has decreased significantly, in particular, due to the fact that Russia is a party to fewer relevant international treaties than Ukraine” – it was noted in the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
It was emphasized in the UN General Assembly resolution that Russia imposes unnecessary and disproportionate restrictive measures in Crimea under the pretext of combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, intensifying repressions against the population, in particular by involving the FSB.
“The resolution calls for enhanced cooperation within international frameworks on Crimea to compel Russia, as an occupying power, to fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law” – Ukrainian diplomats noted, reminding, that it was the fifth consecutive resolution of the General Assembly on human rights issues in the occupied Crimea and the ninth in the context of the international response to Russia's attempt to annex the Ukrainian peninsula.
The following countries voted against the UN resolution: Russia, Armenia, Belarus, China, North Korea, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Venezuela and some other UN member-states. 23 countries in total were against the adoption of a new resolution, while 65 member-states were in favour and 85 were absent.
According to “Apostrophe”, the occupying power of the annexed Crimea threatens Ukraine with international courts due to the water blockade of the peninsula.