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Honourable Chair and respected delegates,
The representative of Ukraine stands before this council today to speak about an important issue: protecting human rights by respecting international law.
Ukraine has learned from its own experience that when international law is not followed, innocent people suffer the most. They are lost when countries break the rules and are not held responsible for their actions.
Many homes, schools, hospitals, and power stations have been damaged. Families have been forced to leave their homes. Many children cannot go to school, and many people have lived without electricity, clean water, or proper medical care. Every person has the right to live in safety, and these rights should be protected in every country.
Every government has a duty to protect its people and respect international law. No country should be allowed to ignore these rules or escape responsibility for its actions. The United Nations was created after the Second World War to protect peace, stop violence, and help countries work together. We must continue to follow these values today.
Ukraine asks this council to do more than just watch. We must work together to protect innocent people, support countries affected by conflict, and make sure that international law is respected by every nation. We must also make sure that those who break these laws are held responsible so that justice can be achieved and peace can last.
Ukraine believes that if we stand together, support each other, and protect human rights and build a safer and more peaceful future for everyone.
Thank you.
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Thank you, Chair.
The delegation of Ukraine takes the floor to address this critical topic through a lens we know all too well: the devastating breakdown of judicial enforcement during systemic crises and conflict.
When war, aggression, and systemic instability shatter a nation, the judicial system is often the first institution targeted or compromised. Across conflict zones and regions facing systemic instability, police forces, prosecutors, and courts frequently fail to enforce protections against gender-based violence, leaving victims entirely exposed to impunity.
Under the doctrine of State Responsibility, a government's failure to maintain a functioning, impartial judiciary that prosecutes violations of human rights is not an administrative oversight—it is a direct breach of international obligations. When aggressor states deliberately target civilian infrastructure and destabilize legal institutions, or when local judicial systems fail to protect the vulnerable, accountability breaks down entirely.
Ukraine urges this council to examine how international oversight and robust enforcement mechanisms can step in when domestic judicial systems fail. We must ensure that the protection of women, children, and all vulnerable populations from gender-based and systemic violence is never compromised by impunity or the breakdown of the rule of law.