Today, the world celebrates the International Human Rights Day. On this day, 75 years ago, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a fundamental human rights document. The Declaration enshrines the fundamental rights and freedoms of every human being in the world, the observance of which was negated by the two world wars of the 20th century.

On this important day for all mankind, we are compelled to note that for many years the Russian Federation has been causing unprecedented damage to the principle of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, both on its own territory and in the territories temporarily occupied by it in Ukraine, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova.

By its actions in Ukraine, the Russian Federation shows blatant disrespect for the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, and parts of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kherson regions of Ukraine, the aggressor state clearly demonstrates to the world all the “benefits” of the so-called "Russian peace": the illegal deportation and forced transfer of the Ukrainian civilian population, including children, sexual violence, torture and inhumane treatment of civilians and prisoners of war, filtration camps, complete lawlessness and lack of justice - all these are crimes and examples of violations of international humanitarian law that have no place in the 21st century.

The recent decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to declare the so-called “international LGBT movement” “extremist” demonstrates how easily the Kremlin can manipulate legal terms to suppress civil rights and freedoms.

Today, the rights of all Ukrainians are under constant Russia’s threat. Daily terrorist attacks on Ukrainian cities deprive civilian Ukrainians of the most precious thing - the right to life.

In the face of the Russian aggression, the only way to restore the rights of our citizens, as well as to achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine is to implement all points of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Peace Formula and to induce the aggressor state to comply with international law.

It is generally accepted that respect and observance of human rights is a necessary prerequisite for peace and security.

We call on the international community, in the framework of the elaboration of the Pact for the Future, the approval of which is planned as part of the Summit for the Future in September 2024, to strengthen the commitment to protect and promote all human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the world, in particular by responding appropriately to serious and systematic violations of human rights, ensuring accountability and preventing future violations.

We urge you to launch a serious discussion to revise the international human rights protection system in order to give it real meaning and to transform political declarations into effective mechanisms.