Rights protection: MFA Ukraine calls for revising existing int’l system

That’s according to an MFA commentary released on Sunday, Ukrinform reports.

"Today the world celebrates International Human Rights Day. On this day 75 years ago, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a fundamental human rights document. The declaration enshrines the fundamental rights and freedoms of every person in the world, the observance of which was leveled by the two world wars ib the 20th century," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized.

Ukrainian diplomats note that for many years, Russia has been causing unprecedented damage to the principle of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, on both on its own territory and the territories of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova they temporarily occupy.

By its actions in Ukraine, Russia expresses an outright contempt for the principles laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea, Sevastopol and parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kherson regions, Russia clearly demonstrates to the world all the ‘good things’ that the so-called ‘Russian world’ brings: illegal deportation and forced relocation of the Ukrainian population, including children, sexual violence, torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners, infiltration camps, complete lawlessness, and lack of justice.

"And all these are crimes and examples of violations of international humanitarian law that have no place in the 21st century," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized.

As diplomats said, the recent decision of Russia’s Supreme Court to declare the so-called "international LGBT movement" "extremist" demonstrates how easily the Kremlin can manipulate legal terms to suppress civil rights and freedoms.

"Today, the rights of all Ukrainians are under constant Russian threat," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted, emphasizing that daily terrorist attacks on Ukrainian cities deprive Ukrainians of the most valuable asset, which is the right to life.

Against the background of Russian aggression, the only way to restore the rights of Ukrainian citizens, as well as to achieve a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace in Ukraine, is to implement all points of the Peace Formula put forward by President Volodymyr Zelensky and to force the aggressor state to comply with international law.

"We call on the international community, within the framework of the preparation of the Future Pact, set to be approved as part of the Summit in September 2024, to bolster the commitment to protect and promote all human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the world, in particular by responding appropriately to serious and systematic violations of human rights , ensuring accountability, and preventing future violations," MFA emphasized, offering to start a serious discussion on the revision of the international system of human rights protection in order to fill it with real content and to transform political declarations into effective mechanisms.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Center for Civil Liberties together with the Baltic Human Rights Society developed an online guide on human rights.