THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
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REMARKS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY EMERGENCY SPECIAL SESSION ON UKRAINE
New York, 22 February 2023
[bilingual, as delivered]
The one-year mark of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine stands as a grim milestone – for the people of Ukraine and for the international community.
That invasion is an affront to our collective conscience.
It is a violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.
It is having dramatic humanitarian and human rights consequences.
And the impact is being felt far beyond Ukraine.
As I said from day one, Russia’s attack on Ukraine challenges the cornerstone principles and values of our multilateral system.
The UN Charter is unambiguous:
“All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.”
The General Assembly has addressed, in the clearest terms, the attempt by the Russian Federation to illegally annex four regions of Ukraine – Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk.
In doing so, the Assembly reaffirmed the longstanding principles of international law contained in its landmark Friendly Relations Declaration of 1970.
Namely, that “the territory of a State shall not be the object of acquisition by another State resulting from the threat or use of force”, and that “no territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force shall be recognized as legal”.
The position of the United Nations is unequivocal:
We are committed to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders.