United Nations Security Council Meeting: Maintenance of Peace and Security in Ukraine

Thank you, Madam President,
I would like to begin by acknowledging the presence of His Excellency Simon Coveney, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ireland. I thank the Director General of the International Organization of Migration, Mr. Antonio Vitorino and Ms. Kelly Clements, the Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees for their comprehensive briefings and the dedicated work of their teams in Ukraine as well as in the neighbouring countries through the implementation of the inter-agency regional Refugee Response Plan spear-headed by the UNHCR.
I would also like to welcome the distinguished representatives of the Member States participating in this meeting under Rule 37.
 
Madam President,
Too many people have needlessly been thrust into the stark and painful realities of becoming refugees and internally displaced persons since the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. In just seven weeks, over 4 million people living in Ukraine have been forced to flee into neighbouring countries and some 7 million more, internally displaced, with little or no hope of ever returning to their known places of abode and domicile. We commend the willingness of neighbouring countries, most of whom themselves are still in fragile situations, for opening their borders to receive the exodus of people arriving daily from Ukraine. We also thank particularly those families and individuals who have generously offered to share their homes and continue to contribute food and non-food items to help assuage the needs of the refugees. We urge the sustenance of cooperation between the United Nations agencies, host-governments and the relevant stakeholders to ensure that refugee assistance and protection measures conform with the internationally accepted standards defined by the 1951 United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees and its amending Protocol of 1967.
 
Mr. President,
Ghana is particularly concerned over the reports of discriminatory treatment of third-country nationals either in their endeavor to join the trains and buses transporting people out of Ukraine or in their attempt to cross borders into the safer territories of neighbouring countries. We believe that even in the most challenging circumstances the best of our common humanity would come through if we are committed. We, therefore, condemn all differential treatments based on race, colour, nationality or any other distinguishing criteria and call for the equal treatment and
protection of all refugees and IDPs. In particular, we urge the easing of border controls to facilitate the entry and passage of third-country nationals. We further urge host countries to refrain from forced deportations and alternatively, to provide third-country nationals with assistance on the legal options to remain or voluntary return to their countries of nationality
 
We remain alert to the risks that such mass movements of persons pose, especially in the area of human trafficking and urge the strengthening of oversight and accountability measures including in transit and host-countries. We call for the prioritisation of the peculiar needs of the sick, women, children, elderly and persons living with disabilities, while underscoring that all reported cases of war crimes and violations of human rights, including human trafficking, gender-based and sexual violence against the women and girls must be urgently and independently investigated to establish the culpability of those responsible and hold them accountable.
 
Mr. President,
The continuous bombardments in several parts of the Ukraine have intensified the need for negotiated humanitarian pauses and demilitarized humanitarian corridors for the safe passage of persons leaving the war-torn country and which would allow for the unobstructed delivery of life-saving aid and assistance to those persons who are unable to leave.
We further reiterate our call on all parties to respect and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to refrain from direct attacks on civilian populations and civilian infrastructure. Humanitarian workers and medical personal must also be protected from harm.

Mr. President,
Our desire to see an end not only to the humanitarian crises in Ukraine, but the fast-growing food, energy and financial crises that is being spawned globally as a result of the war, should drive our efforts to facilitate the peaceful settlement of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
 
We therefore have an urgent and collective responsibility to invest in the peace of Ukraine and avoid actions that reinforce the security apprehensions of the parties and only serve to perpetuate a needless war.
 
I thank you for the kind attention.