UN Security Council Briefing on elections in the Russian occupied territories of Ukraine

Khalilah Hackman (Ms.)
Security Council Chamber
United Nations, New York
September 08 2023

I thank you for giving me the floor, Mr. President.
I also thank Assistant-Secretary-General Mr. Miroslav Jenča for his informative briefing.

Mr. President,
We are dismayed by the on-going local elections being conducted by authorities of the Russian Federation in four regions of Ukraine, namely, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The purported elections constitute a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and follow on the widely condemned attempt by the Russian Federation in September 2022 to annex territories of Ukraine through a referendum.

As a fundamental principle of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, reaffirmed by the General Assembly in its resolution A/ES-11/4 adopted on 12th October 2022, no territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force shall be recognized as legal. Consequently, the attempts by the Russian Federation to exercise sovereign authority within the borders of Ukraine, including the conduct of local elections, are, in our view, illegal and void. It is only the legal and constitutional framework of Ukraine that can accord legitimacy for any such elections.

Besides the tenuous legal basis for holding such elections, the prevailing security and political conditions in the four regions cannot confirm the free and fair will of the people. The purported elections only introduce another layer of complexity to the conflict and complicates the chances for an early settlement.

As we have often stated in this Council, Ghana is firmly committed to the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine and cannot recognize any territory acquired through the threat or use of force by any State. In this instance, we strongly urge a reversal of all actions which assail the sovereign authority of the government of Ukraine and emphasize that the power of might cannot be the rule of law.

Mr. President,
In light of the continuing threat of harm posed by the war to civilian lives, we underscore the international obligations incumbent on the warring parties to protect civilians and further urge restraint against the deliberate targeting and destruction of civilian infrastructure. As repeatedly asserted in this Council, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are illegal and unacceptable.

It is increasingly evident that the war has brought the parties no closer to the realization of their security interests. Given the rapid deterioration of the security and humanitarian conditions in Ukraine, we are of the view that intensified diplomatic action must be mobilized to help de-escalate tensions and secure the cessation of hostilities. We once again urge the Russian Federation’s immediate and unconditional withdrawal of its troops from the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine and urge collective action to lay the ground for a pacific and constructive dialogue between the warring parties. There is no alternative to winning the peace of Ukraine.

I thank you for your kind attention.