The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Monday condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which he described as “senseless”.
Turk made the announcement at the start of a session of the Human Rights Council, during which member countries called for the fullest investigation into Kremlin war crimes.Speaking about the fate of achievements in the field of human rights, Türk noted that today there is a slowdown in development in this area, and sometimes even a setback.He cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an example.
Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. January 27, 2023
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out on Monday, the war in Ukraine has led to massive human rights violations.It is expected that during the session, many states will strive to broaden and deepen the mandate of the structure within the UN, created to investigate possible crimes in Ukraine.Kiev, which has called for a special tribunal to prosecute Russia’s political and military leaders in connection with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said the body was needed to hold Russia to account. Moscow.Several countries have asked the UN to investigate the alleged transfer of thousands of children from Ukraine to Russia, an act that Ukraine’s foreign minister called a crime of genocide.During the meeting, the issue of China’s actions towards the Uyghur minority was also discussed.Recall that the United Nations Human Rights Council, based in Geneva, does not have legally binding powers, but can stimulate investigations, following which documents can be transferred to national and international courts.
