Statement by United Nations Watch and Ingénieurs du Monde, delivered by UN Watch’s Morris B. Abram Fellow Alex Blecker before the 59th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, 3 July 2025. Agenda Item 10, Oral Presentation of the High Commissioner on Ukraine.
Full Speech:
Mr. President,
1,226. That is how many days Ukraine has endured Russia’s brutal and unlawful invasion.
Each passing day not only claims more innocent lives, but it deepens the failure of this Council to uphold its mandate.
The findings in this report by the Secretary-General are abhorrent and demand immediate action by member states.
Mr. President, the testimonies in this report reveal that both Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war are being raped and sexually assaulted at the hands of Russian forces.
The U.N. has documented Ukrainian civilians dying in Russian custody after being tortured, abused, and denied even the most basic principles under international law.
Ukrainian children have been stolen from their homes and transferred to Russia. Their whereabouts remain unknown, as Russian authorities obstruct the efforts of the Red Cross.
Meanwhile, inside Russia and across the territories it illegally occupies, fundamental freedoms of expression are under siege. Ukrainian identity is criminalized.
Mr. President,
The international community can no longer remain idle. Russia’s aggression is not only a war on Ukraine - it is a war on human rights, on accountability, and on the very principles this Council was created to defend.
1,226 days. How many more before this Council takes decisive action?
Thank you.
