ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL MIROSLAV JENČA’S
REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
UKRAINE
New York, 6 DECEMBER 2023
Mr. President,
The cold winter weather has arrived in war-torn Ukraine. Intensifying Russian attacks on the country’s energy facilities, amidst heavy snow and freezing temperatures, are worsening the dire humanitarian conditions across the country.
Since the last time I briefed this Council two weeks ago, we have continued to see daily reports of attacks on Ukraine’s critical civilian infrastructure, many resulting in civilian casualties.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine – in violation of the UN Charter and international law - the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has verified 10,065 civilians killed and 18,679 injured. The actual figures are likely considerably higher.
Most civilian casualties continue to be caused by shelling and multiple-launch rocket systems in areas near the frontline.
However, the attacks have recently escalated on populated areas across the country. On 25 November, Kyiv came under the most significant drone attack in months.
The extensive presence of explosive remnants of war and mines continues to have a significant impact on civilians and their livelihoods, more so in rural areas and agricultural lands. Since August, they killed 31 people and injured 98 – mostly men and boys.
All attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop immediately. They are prohibited under international humanitarian law and are simply unacceptable.
Mr. President,
As a result of the war, ten million people have been forced to flee their homes, including 3.7 million internally displaced, and over 6.3 million refugees recorded globally.
While we can attempt to count the numbers of those killed, injured and displaced, the full lasting toll of this devastating war on the civilian population is beyond measure. In addition to the lives lost, families torn apart, and life-changing physical injuries, the impact of the war on the mental health of millions of Ukrainians will be felt for decades to come.
Children often suffer the greatest lasting trauma in any conflict. In Ukraine, they also face major disruptions in access to basic health and education, which will impact their lives for years.
The fighting has damaged and destroyed hundreds of schools, health and medical facilities. Given the security situation, only half of the 3.9 million children in the territory under Ukraine’s control have attended school in person full-time since the start of the school year.
Mr. President,
Due to the war, women in Ukraine face a heightened risk of sexual- and gender-based violence. Increased poverty rates caused by the war also affect women more than men. Women face a greater amount of domestic and unpaid care work due to family separation, lack of childcare facilities and school closures.
Yet, since the beginning of the war, women have also taken on new vital roles in their communities. Most frontline workers, volunteers and first responders in Ukraine are women.
Mr. President,
As long as the war continues, all four Ukraine’s nuclear power plants remain at risk.
On Saturday, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, located dangerously close to the front line - suffered a complete off-site power outage. This was the eighth time since the start of the invasion.
Last Wednesday, the IAEA team at the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant in western Ukraine reported hearing several explosions close to the plant. The plant was not directly affected. Yet, the incident reminded of the risks faced by Ukrainian nuclear sites – even those away from active combat.
All nuclear sites must be able to operate safely and must be protected to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences.
Mr. President,
Despite the reports of increasing shipments in the Black Sea, the war continues to pose significant risks to civilian navigation and to Ukraine’s grain export capacity.
Since 11 July, OHCHR has recorded 32 attacks that damaged or destroyed grain production and export facilities in territory of Ukraine under Ukrainian control. Russian attacks hit port facilities, grain silos and vehicles for transporting grain. Most attacks affected infrastructure in Odesa region, where the Black Sea and Danube River ports are located.
Following the suspension of the Black Sea Initiative, these attacks substantially reduced the capacity of Ukraine to export food. With so many facilities damaged, and export routes curtailed, the cost of logistics is rising.
Mr. President,
Much like last year, the year 2023 has been devastating for the people of Ukraine.
If urgent steps are not taken to reverse this trajectory, next year may be even more unpredictable and destructive.
I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call to all Member States to do their part to lay the groundwork for peace. Peace that is in line with the UN Charter, international law, and resolutions of the General Assembly.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Wednesday condemned serious sexual violations allegedly carried out by Hamas militants during their terror attacks in southern Israel on 7 October, while humanitarians in Gaza said conditions for civilians there had hit “rock bottom”, amid continued bombardment and mass displacement in the south.
Invoking a rarely used article of the UN Charter, Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday called on the Security Council to “press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and unite in a call for a full humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants.
Invoking a rarely used article of the UN Charter, Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday called on the Security Council to “press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and unite in a call for a full humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants.
If urgent steps are not taken to end the ongoing war and its dire humanitarian consequences in Ukraine, 2024 may be even more unpredictable and destructive, a senior UN official warned on Wednesday.
More than 90 countries underlined their commitment to UN Peacekeeping during a two-day conference in Accra, Ghana, that concluded on Wednesday.
For over a year, a group of United Nations peacekeepers from Ghana led by Captain Esinam Baah regularly patrolled the “blue line” or the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, and visited neighbourhoods in the area, checking in with local families and making sure they were safe.
The transition to renewable energy at UN peacekeeping missions helps to ensure the safety and security of uniformed personnel serving in the field, a senior official said on Tuesday.
The situation for Gazans is “getting worse by the hour”, the UN health agency WHO said on Tuesday, after some of the heaviest Israeli shelling in the enclave since Hamas militants massacred some 1,200 people in southern Israel and took around 240 hostages on 7 October.
Reports of hundreds of fatalities from bombing in southern Gaza over the weekend heightened deep concerns for civilians sheltering there, while UN humanitarians on Monday said that aid teams had only “extremely limited” movement and access to the north was “now entirely blocked”.
Ministers and delegates from more than 85 countries and international organizations are meeting in Ghana this week to express their collective commitment to UN Peacekeeping.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has reiterated his call for a sustained humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages, his Spokesperson said on Monday.
The resumption of hostilities in Gaza and its terrifying impact on civilians underscore the need for the violence to end and a long-term political solution between Palestinians and Israelis to be found, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Sunday.
UN engagement with Sudan will continue in the wake of the decision to terminate its political mission in the country, the Spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement.
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REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL
ON NON-PROLIFERATION/DPRK
New York, 27 November 2023
Mr. President, members of the Security Council,
At 10:42 PM local time on 21 November, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched a rocket “Chollima-1" loaded with the reconnaissance satellite "Malligyong-1", from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. The DPRK’s National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) announced that the rocket flew normally along the pre-set flight track and that the satellite entered orbit at 10:54 PM. It also announced that the DPRK would be “launching several reconnaissance satellites in a short span of time”. This follows previous failed attempts on 31 May and 24 August this year, also using the "Chollima-1" rocket.
The DPRK’s launches represent a serious risk to international civil aviation and maritime traffic. While the DPRK issued a pre-launch notification to the Japanese Coast Guard, it did not issue airspace or maritime safety notifications to the International Maritime Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, or the International Telecommunications Union.
Mr. President,
While sovereign states have the right to benefit from peaceful space activities, Security Council resolutions expressly prohibit the DPRK from conducting any launches using ballistic missile technology.
On 21 November, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the launch of yet another military satellite using ballistic missile technology. He reiterated his call on the DPRK to fully comply with its international obligations under all relevant Security Council resolutions and to resume dialogue without preconditions to achieve the goal of sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Mr. President,
The DPRK continues to implement its five-year military plan unveiled in January 2021. It should be recalled that developing a military reconnaissance satellite was part of the plan, along with various other weapons systems including so-called tactical nuclear weapons.
On 27 September, the DPRK adopted a constitutional amendment further enshrining its policy on nuclear forces in the Constitution. As such, the DPRK has consistently demonstrated its strong intention to continue pursuing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions. We emphasize once again our call on the DPRK to refrain from such actions.
Mr. President,
The increase in nuclear rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula is deeply concerning. The Secretary-General has consistently noted that the only way to prevent the use of nuclear weapons is to eliminate them. All states must reinforce and recommit to the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime built over decades, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which has yet to enter into force.
Pending the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it is imperative that the DPRK maintains the highest level of safety at its nuclear facilities.
Mr. President,
With growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the importance of re-establishing communication channels and off-ramps is essential, particularly between military entities. Exercising maximum restraint is critical to avoid unintended accidents or miscalculations.
We call on Security Council Members to unite and explore practical measures to halt the current negative trend, making full use of the tools of dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation, while adhering to all Security Council resolutions.
Mr. President,
On a separate note, I would like to highlight once again concerns regarding the humanitarian situation in the DPRK. The United Nations is ready to assist the efforts of DPRK in addressing the basic needs of its vulnerable populations. We continue to closely follow the easing of DPRK border restrictions and urge the DPRK to allow the unimpeded re-entry and rotation of the international community, including the United Nations Resident Coordinator and other international UN staff. A collective return would positively impact international support to the people of the DPRK, including on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Thank you, Mr. President.
