On 26 February, on the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of Crimea, Deputy Minister Mariana Betsa addressed the High-Level Segment of the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The Deputy Minister reminded the international human rights community that 11 years ago, Russia's aggression began with the attempted annexation and temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. “This date reminds the world that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders is the cornerstone of global stability and justice”, Mariana Betsa said.
Russia poses an existential threat not only to Ukraine, not only to Europe, but to the entire democratic world. “Ukraine is fighting not only for its sovereign rights, but for the values on which international law and human rights are based, for the future of the entire democratic world”, stressed Mariana Betsa.
“Millions of Ukrainians who remain in the temporarily occupied territories are the victims of ongoing massive crimes, due to Russia's complete disregard for international law and its impunity for violating fundamental rights and freedoms”, the Deputy Minister pointed out.
In this context, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine focused on the forced deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children by Russia and called on partners to join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council, Mariana Betsa called for a response to the facts of the horrific executions and torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war carried out in cold blood by Russian forces.
The Deputy Minister stressed the crucial need to ensure that Russia and its war criminals are held accountable for all violations of international law and human rights, and the importance of maintaining comprehensive monitoring and continuous documentation of Russian crimes by all UN mechanisms and mandates. In this context, she called on Council members to extend the mandate of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine for another year by adopting a resolution at the current session.
As part of the commemoration of the third anniversary of Russia's unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the 11th anniversary of Russia's aggression and temporary occupation of Crimea, representatives of UN Member States joined Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa in a family photo in support of Ukraine.
While in Geneva, Mariana Betsa held bilateral meetings with senior officials from Estonia, Lithuania, Italy, Thailand and the United Kingdom. Discussions with the foreign partners focused on deepening bilateral cooperation and joint initiatives within international organizations. The Deputy Minister thanked the partners for their consistent support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for active participation in the efforts of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children forcibly deported by Russia.
The Deputy Minister spoke to the media about Ukraine's efforts to establish a just and lasting peace for our country, and joint actions with partners to hold Russia accountable. Mariana Betsa also met with the leaders of the Ukrainian community in Geneva and other Swiss cantons. During the meeting, she emphasized that the preservation of the national identity of Ukrainians abroad is at the heart of the MFA's efforts and briefed them on the current issues of developing cooperation with the global Ukrainian community.