Madam Chairperson,

We warmly welcome the Chairperson of the Security Committee Ambassador Neil Bush, the Chairperson of the Economic and Environmental Committee Ambassador Florian Raunig and the Chairperson of the Human Dimension Committee Ambassador Anne-Kirsti Karlsen and thank them for the presentation of the committees’ upcoming activities in 2021.

The delegation of Ukraine welcomes the timely presentation of the Security Committee work program for this year. We share the opinion that the Committee is a practical, useful platform for inclusive and dynamic debates. We noticed that some topics, for instance transnational organized crime, received greater attention and several Committee meetings are scheduled to cover this issue, while other important challenges in the First Dimension were left behind the agenda for 2021. Therefore, we believe there is still a room for ensuring more comprehensiveness in the Committee’s work.

As my delegation stressed on many occasions, the topic of border security deserves due attention of the OSCE and its Security Committee. The situation of ongoing violation of Ukraine’s state border underscores the imperative of seeking full implementation of the OSCE Border Security and Management Concept, particularly paragraphs 2 and 4. In view of the OSCE role in the border security and management we encourage the Chairperson of the First Committee to place it among the priorities.

When it comes to the organized crime on our agenda, we wish to note that this problem is directly connected to unresolved conflicts in the OSCE area. General instability, lack of rule of law and basic rights, economic and environmental crimes and other negative impacts of conflicts in the affected areas are a fertile soil for criminal activities in the OSCE area.

Dear colleagues, 

OSCE activities in the economic and environmental dimension have an important role to play for the advancement of the OSCE comprehensive approach to security. We can only subscribe to what was just said by the Chairperson that we should address activities in the Second dimension as part of comprehensive security.

We strongly support the Committee’s intention to focus on the link between the environment and security. After all, despite this obvious interdependence, the environmental aspects of security are often neglected.

Particular emphasis in this context should be given to the environmental implications of armed conflicts. The devastating environmental consequences of armed conflicts are marked by ecological degradation, illegal exploitation of natural resources and serious health risks for the local population. While the challenges in this field remain underestimated, the armed conflicts continue to inflict irreversible damage to the affected regions’ ecosystem, including chemical and radiological contamination of water and soil. We would appreciate due attention of the Second Committee to this aspect of environment and security.

Madam Chairperson,

It is of the utmost importance to continue to seek practical ways to address multiple and grave human rights abuses in the OSCE area.

Ukraine, as the country facing the ongoing external hybrid aggression, encounters on everyday basis the complex humanitarian challenges, including serious violations of human rights, fundamental freedoms and cases of persecution and discrimination in the temporarily occupied territories.

We encourage the Chairperson of the Human Dimension Committee to prioritize its work on this track. Among the most pressing problems that need to be addressed we view the eradication of the phenomenon of political prisoners, countering state propaganda and disinformation, addressing militarization of school education and combat training of children, combating torture and enforced disappearances, protection of the rights of internally displaced persons.

We also underline the importance of providing every support to the OSCE Institutions in monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in the occupied territories and in countering gross violations of human rights law and humanitarian law.

Distinguished colleagues, 

We often hear during the meetings of the three committees the interventions by the Russian representatives asking to avoid the so-called “politicization” of the discussion, or even more – a call for “building positive and unifying agenda”.

I wish to use this opportunity to remind the Russian delegation that the solution is exclusively in its hands. What is needed for this, is that the Russian Federation reverses its illegal occupation of Crimea and militarization of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, and stops its aggression against Ukraine and Georgia. Russia must abide by the norms of international law, OSCE principles and commitments.

 In conclusion the Delegation of Ukraine wishes the Chairs of the committees every success, and courage as well, in pursuit of our common objectives of co-operation based on the respect for OSCE principles and commitments.

 Thank you, Madam Chairperson.