UN Security Council Briefing on Threats to international peace and security (Ukraine)

UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFING ON THREATS TO INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY (UKRAINE)

Madam President,
I thank the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Madam Izumi Nakamitsu, for her briefing. My delegation has also taken note of the information provided by the civil society representative, Mr. Daniel Kovalik. I begin my statement by re-affirming Ghana’s complete and unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine and affirm Ukraine’s inherent right to self-defense under customary international law, codified in chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. The stability of our international system has been carefully built upon established norms of inter-state relations, one of which is the cardinal prohibition of the use of force by one state against the other. Any contrary actions, as we have witnessed of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, undermine the fundamental principles of international law, the values and purposes of the United Nations Charter and constitute serious threats to international peace and security.

Over the past nine months, Ukraine has deployed its military and strategic capabilities in asserting its inherent right to self-defense against the armed attack of the Russian Federation and in a courageous endeavour to preserveits national interests. To such action, there is no prohibition and neither do the rules of international law or the Charter prohibit the supply of conventional weapons to a state under the armed attack of another. Regrettably, the war has come at the great cost of destruction, damage and the loss of lives and with each passing day of missile attacks, the toll of civilian casualties and damage to Ukraine’s critical infrastructure continues to compound as the United Nations registers some of the worst humanitarian statistics since World War II. We also remain acutely aware of the looming danger of a nuclear catastrophe as the integrity of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is persistently violated. Away from Ukraine, the war has spurred unprecedented levels of global energy, food and financial crises which have derailed the capacity of many developing states to rebound from the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, further worsening socio-economic conditions for many communities far removed from the theatre of the war.

It remains in our common interest to end the war and the trail of devastation that it is leaving in its path. It is, therefore, our view that, the pre-occupation of the international community should be the immediate cessation of military hostilities, a key aspect of which is the unconditional withdrawal of Russian forces from the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine. We reiterateour call on the Russian Federation to end its aggression against Ukraine and to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity in line with the norms and principles of international law. While diplomatic efforts to end the war may appear to have eluded the international community, we must remain steadfast and unified in our efforts to facilitate a political dialogue with credible guarantees of addressing the respective security concerns of the parties. In its enduring wisdom, the Charter of the United Nations avails several modes of pacific settlement which promise to deliver our present and collective aspiration for peace in Ukraine, if undertaken with the genuine commitment and greater determination of the warring sides and all stakeholders. We must pursue the path of dialogue as there can be no military solution to the conflict.

Finally, we urge the parties to uphold the rules of international humanitarian law, in particular, the requirements for distinction and proportionality to avoid causing needless harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.

I thank you for your attention