Today, November 15, the Third Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations, approved the resolution “On the protection of human rights in Crimea under the conditions of Russian occupation.”

The Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN reported on results of the vote.

67 members of the committee supported the resolution, 23 were against, including representatives of Russia and its satellites. 

38 states became its co-authors. The resolution will enter into force after its adoption by the UN General Assembly in December.

The resolution contains a reference to the international legal definition of aggression and a warning that obtaining territory or another advantage as a result of aggression cannot and will not be considered legal.

The main provisions of the resolution include:

• the demand for Russia to stop the policy of changing the demographic situation in Crimea by relocating its population there, as well as forced eviction;
• condemnation of mass detentions of activists, human rights defenders, in particular, representatives of the Crimean Solidarity initiative;
• a call to stop the persecution and to release people detained for expressing thoughts, in particular before the occupation began, as well as to release all illegally detained citizens of Ukraine;
• condemnation of drafting men in Crimea in the army of the Russian Federation and criminal prosecution of those who refuse to serve in the army of the aggressor state;
• the requirement to immediately release all illegally detained citizens of Ukraine and ensure their unhindered return to their homeland;
• a call to the international community to continue to condemn human rights violations in Crimea by the Russian Federation.

#ТЕРМІНОВО 🔴

Третій комітет Генасамблеї ООН ухвалив резолюцію про захист прав людини в Криму в умовах російської окупації.

✅За – 67, ❌проти – 23.

Основні положення резолюції ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/6MwSUXzRKY— UKR Mission to UN (@UKRinUN) November 14, 2019

The resolution will complement the arsenal of tools to counter Russia’s attempts to legitimize the annexation of part of the territory of Ukraine. Thus, the UN clearly recorded that the actions of the Russian Federation on the Ukrainian peninsula are a gross violation of international law.

(c) QHA