United Nations Security Council Meeting on Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFING ON THE MAINTENANCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY OF UKRAINE

Mr. President,
I wish at the outset, to welcome the virtual participation, under Rule 37, of the President of Ukraine, His Excellency Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky. My delegation reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. I also welcome the briefing by USG Rosemary DiCarlo on the prevailing situation and commend the United Nations response to the rising humanitarian suffering occasioned by the war. Ghana is gravely concerned by the reports of the intensification of military bombardments in several regions across Ukraine over the past couple of days and for which the ordinary people, especially, women and children, are having to pay the highest price. We remained concerned that residential areas continue to be the target of missile launches and bombardments and regret that such places have increasingly become the arena for combat.
 
Over last four months, the war has continued unabated, under conditions that have precipitated considerable human suffering and despair. While the present situation casts a grim outlook for peace, as purveyors of global peace and security, we cannot, and must not, lose hope of finding peace in the interest of the conflicting parties and the wider international community. With each passing day, the urgency to find a peaceful and durable solution to the conflict grows. The snowballing effect of the collateral economic impact on the rest of the international community, especially, developing countries which, already, are burdened by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other pressing global challenges, could soon go beyond the reach of easy resolution. It is our plea that ongoing diplomatic efforts should be given an opportunity for the cause of peace and the abatement of this needless war on the basis of a commitment to genuine and unconditional dialogue.
 
We welcome the positive results that followed the SecretaryGeneral’s visits to Kyiv and Moscow during the month of April, which demonstrate for us, the utility of the United Nations in such delicate circumstances. We encourage the parties to accept the good offices of the Secretary-General in repairing broken trust in order to move forward stalled negotiations. We call for an immediate cessation of military engagements in areas populated by civilians and urge the urgent creation of demilitarized humanitarian corridors in all besieged areas in compliance with the precepts of international law and international humanitarian law. We note the obligation of the conflicting parties to proactively protect civilians and civilian infrastructure from harm. Similarly, aid and humanitarian workers must be afforded equal treatment of protection.
 
In concluding, we urge maximum restraint and encourage rhetoric that is facilitative of a peaceful process. Finally, we re-iterate our call to the members of this Council to harness all efforts in bringing an end to the war and restoring peace and stability in Ukraine.
 
I thank you.