The Human Rights Council held an emergency meeting to discuss whether to form an international commission of inquiry on Ukraine
UN Photo/ Jean Marc Ferré Un High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet speaks during an urgent debate at the Human Rights Council on the situation in Ukraine.
The 49th session of the Human Rights Council will begin today with the "Urgent Debate on the Situation of Human Rights in Ukraine Triggered by Russian Aggression", on which a draft resolution authorizing the formation of an international commission of inquiry on Ukraine will be voted on. Voting is expected to take place tomorrow (March 4).
A new dangerous chapter in world history
In his speech, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bachelet, said that a week ago, Russia's military attack on Ukraine opened a new dangerous chapter in the history of the world.
"The attacks that began on February 24 are having a huge impact on the human rights of millions of people in Ukraine," she said. The increase in the threat level of nuclear weapons highlights the magnitude of the risks facing all of humanity. ”
Destruction and casualties
Bachelet noted that military operations are escalating further, with several major cities, including the capital Kiev, and their surrounding areas under military attack. The town of Volnovaka in the eastern Donetsk region was almost completely destroyed by shelling, and the remaining residents hid in the basement.
By Wednesday night, OHCHR had recorded and confirmed 802 civilian casualties, including 249 deaths, 17 of whom were children, and at least 553 were injured, including 30 children.
The donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east recorded 337 casualties. Other parts of Ukraine — Kiev City, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kiev, Odessa, Samui, Zaporizhia and Zhytomyr regions — recorded 465 casualties.
Bachelet said the actual casualty figure would be much higher.
She noted that most civilian casualties were due to the use of heavy artillery, multiple rocket launch systems and air strikes in densely populated areas, as well as worrying reports of the use of cluster munitions against civilian targets. Residential buildings were severely damaged.
"The use of widespread weapons in densely populated urban areas may inherently carry the risk of indiscriminate targeting, and I call for an immediate cessation of such force," Bachelet said. ”
A large number of civilian objects, such as hospitals, schools and kindergartens, were also severely damaged. Basic infrastructure has been severely damaged, cutting off critical supplies and services, including electricity, water and access to health care. On Feb. 26, Russian troops near Kherson reportedly opened fire on an ambulance carrying the seriously wounded; the driver was killed and a paramedic was injured.
Photo: © UNICEF/Viktor Moskaliuk Russian military operations against Ukraine continue, with a family of two young children waiting to board an evacuation train at Lviv Railway Station in Ukraine's westernmost corner near the Polish border.
Flee Ukraine
More than 2 million people have been forced to flee their homes. UNHCR estimates that one million are internally displaced. In the past seven days, another 1.04 million refugees have fled to neighbouring countries in search of safety, often arriving at the border after cycling or walking for days in cold weather. UNHCR estimates that as many as 4 million people will leave Ukraine in the coming weeks if the conflict continues.
Bachelet praised the welcoming attitude shown by neighbors to ukrainians.
"This welcome must be extended to all those fleeing conflict, regardless of their citizenship, ethnicity, immigration or other status," she said. There are disturbing signs of discrimination against African and Asian nationals during the period of flight, and my Office will closely monitor this situation. ”
Respect international law and protect lives
Bachelet said tens of millions of people remain in Ukraine and are in potentially deadly danger. The escalation of current military operations will further exacerbate the harm they face.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights stresses the need for States to abide by international law and the core principles governing the protection of human life and dignity. It is imperative that civilians throughout the country have full access to humanitarian assistance.
She also strongly urges all parties to the conflict to fully protect civilians and captured soldiers, as required by international humanitarian law.
"The reality is that some incidents violate the norms of international armed conflict," she said. It is in the interest of all States to ensure that these standards are met and that they are held accountable in cases where they are not met. ”
International justice and human rights action
Bachelet noted that at the international level, the International Court of Justice has formally dealt with proceedings related to the conflict in Ukraine and will begin hearings on requests for interim measures next Monday.
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has announced his decision to proceed immediately into an active investigation into the situation in Ukraine, following the request he has received from many States requesting the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
The Human Rights Council now has before it an important draft resolution and is expected to vote tomorrow on whether to form an independent international commission of inquiry on Ukraine.
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