The general Assembly The UN body, the most representative body of the UN as it comprises its 193 member states, adopted a resolution on Monday demanding that Russia pay reparations for the war in Ukraine.
The resolution, co-sponsored by 50 countries, approves the establishment of an international compensation mechanism for damages, losses and injuries, as well as a registry to document evidence and claims.
The decision was adopted by 94 votes in favor, 14 against, and 73 abstained.
Ukraine: hold Russia to account
Introducing the resolution, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya used the biblical adage that “there is nothing new under the sun” as a motive throughout his speech, insisting that Russia must be held accountable for its violations of international law.
“77 years ago, the Soviet Union demanded and received reparations, calling it the moral right of a country that has suffered from war and occupation,” he said.
“TodayRussia, which proclaims itself the successor to the tyranny of the 20th century, does everything possible to avoid paying the price of its own war and occupationtrying to evade responsibility for the crimes he is committing.”
Butchery and compensation
Kyslytsya noted that Russia also supported the creation of the UN Compensation Commission, established in 1991 after Iraq’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait.
That commission ended its mandate in February, having paid more than $52 billion in reparations to the victims, the Ukrainian ambassador said.
He also exposed the impact of the war in his countryincluding the targeted bombing of residential buildings and infrastructure, the demolition of almost half of the electricity grid and public services, mass displacements, and atrocities such as murder, rape, torture, and forced deportations.
“This resolution does not refer only to Russia. It will serve to benefit all those who are being threatened now or could be threatened later by the use of force,” he said.
Russia criticizes the decision
Before the vote, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya called the draft resolution “a classic example” of a small group of states that do not act on the basis of international lawbut they try to consecrate something that is illegal.
The countries that support the resolution try to position the General Assembly as a judicial body, which it is not.
“These countries boast about their commitment to the rule of law, but at the same time mock their appearance,” he added.
There is no role for the UN
He also said that the proposed reparations mechanism will be created by a group of countries that will decide how it works.
“The UN will play no role in this process because it is suggested that the proposed mechanism be created outside the UNand no one plans to report to the General Assembly on their activity,” he continued.
In addition, the Russian ambassador commented that he had “no doubt” that the financing will come from frozen Russian assets, which amount to billions.
He said that Western countries have long wanted to unfreeze these assets, not to return them to their owner, not to spend them on helping Ukraine, “but to finance its own arms supplies to kyiv, which are constantly growingand to cover the debts for the weapons already supplied”.
emergency special session
The emergency special session of the General Assembly began on February 28, a few days after the start of the war in Ukraine.
This is the 11th time such a meeting has been held since 1950, in accordance with a resolution widely known as “Unite for Peace.”
Resolution 377A(V) grants the General Assembly the power to deal with matters related to international peace and security when the Security Council it cannot act due to the lack of unanimity of its five permanent members -China, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia-, which have veto power.
This latest extraordinary session was convened after the Council voted in favor of the General Assembly meeting following Russia’s veto of a resolution that would have deplored the assault on Ukraine.