On February 28th the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council started its working session and on March 3rd and 4th an Urgent debate on the situation of human rights in Ukraine, stemming from the Russian aggression.
You can watch here the plenary meeting of the mentioned urgent debate with the interventions of member states and NGOs.
On March 8th, during the General Debate with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Madam Bachelet, IFOR joined 20 other NGOs in an "Appeal for Peace in Ukraine", delivered by the Associazione Papa Giovanni XXIII.
49th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council, 28 February – 1 April 2022 Item 2: General Debate with the High Commissioner on Human Rights Joint Oral statement delivered by: Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII (APG23) Co-signing NGOs1:
Associazione Comunita Papa Giovanni XXIII (APG23); Association Points-Cœur; AVSI Foundation; Baptist World Alliance (BWA); Center for Global Nonkilling; Confédération Internationale Société de Saint Vincent de Paul; Conscience and Peace Tax International (CPTI); Dominicans for Justice and Peace (Order of Preachers); Dominican Leadership Conference; Edmund Rice International; Foundation for the Social Promotion of Culture; ICMICA-MIIC Pax Romana; International Catholic Child Bureau (BICE); International fellowship of Reconciliation – IFOR; International Organization for the Right to Education and freedom of Education (OIDEL); International Volunteerism Organization for Women Education and Development (VIDES International); Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice (IIMA); MIAMSI; Mouvement contre le Racism et pour l’Amitiéentre les Peuples (MRAP); New Humanity.
“Appeal for Peace in Ukraine”
Madam High Commissioner,
I speak on behalf of 20 NGOs to express our extreme dismay at the military action that is currently unfolding in Ukraine. We would like to echo your appeal2 of February 24 that urges an immediate halt to hostilities that puts countless civilian lives at risk.
We bring into this room the voice of the defenceless victims of conflicts, whose human rights are being violated.
We would like to recall the 2016 Declaration on the Right to Peace3 that affirms “Everyone has the right to enjoy peace such that all human rights are promoted and protected and development is fully realized.”
We believe that a process of disarmament is needed in order to guarantee peace. All countries involved in the security architecture of Europe must commit to the reduction of strategic and non-strategic nuclear weapons stored in the continent. Moreover, the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons should be signed and implemented by all States.
We appeal to the UN, the international community, all parties to strive for an end to the fighting in Ukraine by enforcing international law and finding a solution to the conflict based on the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes.
“War is a “scourge”… It is an adventure without return that compromises humanity's present and threatens its future… War is always a defeat for humanity”4
No one has the right to make a war, yet we all have the duty to build peace.
Thank You!
1 NGOs not accredited to ECOSOC supporting this statement: 1. Japan Committee for the Right to Peace 2 https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=28153&LangID=E
3 A/RES/71/189
4 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, paragraph 497