STATEMENT BY H.E. AMBASSADOR HUSSEIN HANIFF, ON
BEHALF OF SEVERAL DELEGATIONS ON THE ADOPTION OF
DRAFT SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION
ON THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE
17 FEBRUARY 2015
Mr. President,
I have the honour to make this statement on behalf of the delegations of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Indonesia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, as well as my own delegation, Malaysia.
2. We join other Council members in welcoming the adoption of Resolution 2202 on the situation in Ukraine.
3. We believe that the adoption of this resolution would convey the Council’s and by extension - the international community’s - strong support for the steps taken by the concerned parties to implement the ceasefire arrangements agreed on 12 February 2015.
4. We reiterate our full support for all peaceful efforts aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine. The recent developments in eastern Ukraine proved that diplomatic and political solution is more urgent than ever. In this regard, we particularly commend the diplomatic initiatives that have yielded the ‘Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements’ last week.
Mr. President,
5. The conflict in eastern Ukraine has gone on for far too long and claimed the lives of far too many innocent civilians, including those 298 souls aboard flight MH17 which was tragically shot down over the conflict area on 17 July 2014.
6. In the aftermath of the tragedy, this Council responded by adopting Resolution 2166 which, inter alia, emphasised the need for a full, thorough and independent international investigation into the incident, and demanded that those responsible for this incident be held to account and that all States cooperate fully with efforts to establish accountability. It also clearly outlines the obligations upon all UN member states to cooperate in this regard, to bring those responsible to justice.
7. The resolution adopted today is unambiguous in reaffirming the Council's demand in Resolution 2166 for accountability for those responsible for the downing of MH17. We reiterate that this demand remains the international standard regarding accountability and applies to all UN members, particularly set against the Minsk Agreements and package of measures.
{C}8. {C}In this connection, our delegations welcome the reaffirmation of Resolution 2166 in the present resolution.
Mr. President,
{C}9. {C}To conclude, we call on the conflicting parties to fully adhere to and implement the Minsk agreements, in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, as well as the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and unity of Ukraine.
{C}10. {C}We wish to see an immediate and full implementation of the ceasefire agreement, which could ultimately pave the way for a sustained political solution and return peace and stability to the affected areas.
Thank you.