Excellencies,

Distinguished participants, 

Dear Director Mecacci, 

We join previous speakers in warmly congratulating the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on its 30^th anniversary!

The Delegation of Ukraine aligns itself with the statement of the European Union and wishes to make some remarks in its national capacity.

The respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law is at the core of the OSCE’s comprehensive concept of security.

30 years back participating States agreed on one of the basic conceptual pillars of the human dimension by declaring that “commitments undertaken in the field of the human dimension of the OSCE are matters of direct and legitimate concern to all participating States and do not belong exclusively to the internal affairs of the State concerned”.

The ODIHR was established as one of the main OSCE instruments facilitating the realization of this concept and assisting participating States in the implementation of their human dimension commitments and thereby enhancing security in the region.

Among essential human dimension goals participating States agreed to ensure full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, to abide by the rule of law, to promote principles of democracy and to build, strengthen and protect democratic institutions, as well as promote tolerance in society.

Throughout the decades Ukraine and ODIHR accumulated an impressive track record of efficient and constructive cooperation in the above-mentioned areas. My country values its close co-operation with the ODIHR as it assists the efforts of the Ukrainian authorities aiming at strengthening the democratic processes, institutions and civil society.

Fifteen ODIHR’s missions to observe the elections in Ukraine, dozens of legislative reviews to support the democratic law-making, several memoranda of understanding between the ODIHR and different Ukrainian state institutions, including the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the “Equal Opportunities Caucus” of the Parliament of Ukraine, numerous targeted trainings and expert assistance measures on the issues of human rights education, tolerance and non-discrimination, freedom of religion or belief, Roma and Sinti, gender equality are illustrative of our common achievements.

ODIHR’s qualified, impartial and transparent activities remain crucial at present time, when security and stability must be restored in the OSCE region. The Office has played its early warning role in 2014 and 2015 by conducting two human rights assessment missions amid the Russian aggression against Ukraine. However, the finding and recommendations addressed to the occupying power remain valid today, as grave violations persist and monitoring by international organizations continues to be denied in Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine.

We consider it essential for the ODIHR as a genuine OSCE human rights office to be more vocal in reacting to gross human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, where basic human rights and freedoms of the millions of citizens of Ukraine are under severe attack of the Russian occupation administration. 

We encourage the ODIHR to make meaningful contribution to the work led by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in implementing the provisions of the UN General Assembly resolutions on "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine."

We also invite the ODIHR to join the Crimea Platform and contribute to the enhanced international cooperation aimed at the de-occupation of peninsula.

Let me conclude by reaffirming Ukraine’s resolve to continue to take efforts in enhancing implementation of the OSCE human dimension commitments, as well as our support for the ODIHR’s mandate. 

We wish every success to Director Mecacci and his able team in promoting and protecting human security across the OSCE region. 

Ukraine will continue to stand by ODIHR in the struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms, restoration of peace and security in Europe based on OSCE principles.

Thank you for your attention.