2022 Speech - Czechia
| Session Number | 77 |
|---|---|
| Year | 2022 |
| Country | Czechia |
| Country Code | CZE |
| Speech |
The United Nations and its principles, which we established after the Second World War, are in grave danger. One of the presumed gatekeepers of the Charter of the United Nations — one of the permanent members of the Security Council, Russia — is attacking a sovereign neighbouring democracy and wreaking havoc in Eastern Europe and the entire world. If we continue to allow a new colonial war, then why are we here? Why do we keep the United Nations alive? Do we care or are we indifferent?
The Czech Government’s foreign policy is guided by the legacy of our former President Vaclav Havel — a globally respected human rights defender and renowned politician, who once said, “Our indifference towards others can, after all, result in only one thing — the indifference of others towards us”. The fact that representatives of all States Members of the United Nations meet here to address major global challenges demonstrates that we are not indifferent to the suffering of others. It shows that we care. The circumstances have changed dramatically since the seventy-sixth session of the General Assembly. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally shaken the international order. On 24 February, not only Europe but also the whole world entered a new era. Russia tried to dismantle the security architecture of the European continent by launching a colonial war of conquest. Ironically, President Putin is declaring partial mobilization and threatening the world with the use of nuclear weapons today — the International Day of Peace. What more proof do we need? That is our terrifying new reality. Russia’s unjustifiable, unprovoked and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine not only blatantly violates the United Nations Charter but also badly damages the global economy and the food security of many countries represented in the General Assembly Hall. It seriously threatens the rules-based international order and harms all States Members of the United Nations. I am shocked to the core, listening to Russian State-controlled television channels, preaching the strategy of hunger and cold towards Ukraine and the world and approving the torture and mass killing of civilians, with the argument that the world must fear Russia. Russia must immediately cease its military actions and withdraw all its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine. Russia’s complete disregard for the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly is appalling. Czechia resolutely supports Ukraine’s right to defend its territorial integrity and population, in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. Czechia fully supports the sovereignty, unity and independence of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. We will never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the upcoming sham referendums to be held in parts of the territory of Ukraine. We resolutely reject attempts to create spheres of influence instead of equal partnerships. The time of establishing colonies and acquiring territory by the sheer force of arms is over. Today it is Ukraine; tomorrow it could be any of us. We refuse a world of Russian colonial appetite. We are horrified by the atrocities committed by the Russian invader. We condemn the existence of filtration camps run by Russia and the horrors in Mariupol, Bucha, Irpin, Izyum and many other places in Ukraine, as well as the apocalyptic shelling of civilian infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens have been deported to Russia, including children. Children were forcibly taken from their parents. It reminds us of the worst practices of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany in the first half of the twentieth century. All those reports on Russian military conduct must be independently investigated. Russia must respect its obligations under international humanitarian law. Russia has an international responsibility for the aggression, but there is also an individual criminal responsibility for the crimes committed on such a large scale by Russian troops. We will hold all war criminals accountable. Czechia supported the referral to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to open an investigation of the situation on the ground in Ukraine. We also strongly support Ukraine’s application instituting proceedings against the Russian Federation under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide before the International Court of Justice. And we call for the establishment of a special international tribunal that will prosecute the crime of aggression committed by Putin’s Russia. Apart from that, we support Ukraine comprehensively. Czechia hosts the highest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita — more than 400,000 in a country of 10 million. We provide large amounts of humanitarian aid. We support the stabilization, recovery and reconstruction efforts of the Ukrainian Government — not only with words but with action. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has only strengthened my country’s resolve to continue supporting independent media, civil society and human rights defenders. Unfortunately, inside Russia the human rights situation of freedom-loving citizens has worsened enormously. We successfully ran for the Human Rights Council seat vacated by Russia in May. I would like to express thanks for the broad support that we received from many of Member States. We warmly welcome the appointment of Mr. Volker Turk as the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. I wish to thank former High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet for her dedicated work during her term in office. The most recent report on China prepared by her Office shed light on the alarming human rights violations against Muslim groups, including Uyghurs. Unfortunately, the human rights situations in countries such as Afghanistan, Cuba, Ethiopia, Iran, Myanmar and Venezuela also continue to worsen. We wish Myanmar would work towards a peaceful resolution of the current crisis. We follow with horror the atrocious manner in which the Iranian authorities handle the rightful protests of women. In Belarus, the regime uses brutal violence against its opponents. In the past two years, tens of thousands of Belarussians have been detained and all independent media and civil society organizations have been destroyed. We are concerned that anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial are on the rise. This year marks 80 years since the infamous Wannsee Conference and the formulation of the so-called “final solution to the Jewish question”, which resulted in the murder of nearly 6 million Jews. Czechia reiterates Israel’s right to protect its citizens against any terrorist activities that deliberately target Israeli civilians, including rocket attacks. Czechia currently holds the presidency of the European Union (EU). Our priorities, such as defending Ukraine, ensuring energy security and promoting democracy and human rights, are not only regional but also global in nature. Russian aggression has only multiplied the already existing global challenges. Progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has slowed down. The prices of agriculture commodities are growing globally. For us, working with young people and listening to their concerns is the driving force to get progress on the SDGs back on track. Climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss are major global challenges. We need a comprehensive humanitarian, development-oriented and peace-based response to crises, including pandemics, as well as solutions that foster sustainable food systems and climate resilience. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the World Health Organization can work effectively and independently of any political influence. No one should be left behind. We firmly support the global efforts for equal access to vaccines and treatment. The stakes are high for the upcoming twenty- seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Egypt. It has been said many times before, but I will reiterate it once again: if we do not act now, it may soon be too late, The development of relations between the European Union and Africa is among the priorities of the Czech EU presidency. Africa faces food shortages, the negative impacts of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Russian aggression against Ukraine has blocked the exports of agricultural products. I cannot but express my outrage at how Russian disinformation propaganda seeks to use the food crisis in Africa to spread false narratives that the EU sanctions against Russia caused the shortage. Obviously, if Russia had not invaded Ukraine, we would not have had to deal with that issue at all. Turning to other security issues, we are concerned about the increased tensions in the Taiwan Strait caused by unilateral threatening actions. We expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, while the status quo is maintained. The digital space carries many opportunities, but there are risks too: cyberattacks and cybercrime, the misuse of technology and in particular disinformation. Let me say this loud and clear — a lie is not an opinion. For far too long, we have overlooked the spread of disinformation directed against our common values. Let us not forget the COVID-related disinformation. We had to learn the hard way when disinformation began to cost human lives. That is why we need to make sure that our citizens and societies are resilient and that independent media operate freely. We will continue to reach out and help countries exposed to lies and propaganda. Czechia promotes the concept of digital humanism, which keeps human interests and needs at the centre of emerging technologies. Instances of Internet shutdowns are growing. We must maintain a free, open, safe, secure and stable cyberspace, in which human rights apply online as they do offline. The number of cyberattacks, including State-sponsored cyberattacks, continues to rise, as does their severity. The new potential of terrorist threat has appeared with the escalation of Russia’s aggressive policies. Terrorism maliciously feeds on weak governance, economic hardship and social injustice, with the Sahel region being the most-affected region. Czechia reiterates its commitment to countering terrorism and supporting countries that suffer from terrorist violence or threats. I would like to use this opportunity to remind Russia that Czechia still awaits its official response concerning the explosion that occurred in an ammunition depot in my country in 2014. That completely appalling act was planned and executed by agents of GRU, the Russian military intelligence directorate, and claimed the lives of two innocent Czech citizens, in addition to the material damage caused. Such conduct is a clear violation of international law. The non-proliferation of nuclear weapons is also negatively impacted by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Russia does not hesitate to use dangerous nuclear rhetoric, which has become a new standard for terrorizing peaceful populations. Czechia strongly denounces Russia’s occupation of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. Any armed attack on nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We regret that, despite lengthy negotiations, it was not possible to achieve consensus on a final outcome document at the tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) because Russia opposed it. And we call on Iran to act urgently to fulfil its legal obligations under its NPT Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and to clarify all outstanding issues. We commend the IAEA and its Director General for their professional work in verifying Iran’s safeguards obligations. The United Nations, this universal Organization, has a duty to help us better react to existing and emerging global challenges. But in these dark and stormy times, it has the duty to firmly defend the principles it was founded on — the Charter of the United Nations, human rights and the rules-based international order. |