In 2015 the international community marks the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine commends the path the United Nations has gone through in 70 years of its existence, becoming the unique universal international organization both in terms of composition of its Member States, which has increased by more than 140 countries from 1945, and by its areas of activity.
Progress in any vital for mankind sphere today in unimaginable without UN. The Universal Organization has made its most significant contribution in such areas as decolonization; maintenance of international peace and security, most notably on the African continent; global disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; countering terrorism and violent extremism; promotion and protection of human rights; gender equality; sustainable development; prevention and combating the climate change effects; fighting poverty; tackling the most dangerous infectious diseases and pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, Ebola virus etc.
The approval by the world leaders of the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly is going to be an event of historic significance as new Goals will replace the Millennium Development Goals and become a road map for harmonious and balanced development of the mankind till 2030.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is proud of Ukraine’s role as one of the UN Founding Member States which led the process of the elaboration of the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter at the San Francisco Conference 70 years ago. First of all, it concerns such pillars of the UN and the modern world order as promotion of friendly and neighborly relations among nations based on the principle of the rule of international law, the sovereign equality of states, refraining from the threat or use of force against territorial integrity or political independence of any state, peaceful settlement of international disputes.
Military aggression against Ukraine unleashed by a permanent member of the UN Security Council - the Russian Federation - through illegal occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, waging war in Donbas with regular military forces and terrorists support is a flagrant violation of the mentioned Purposes and Principles of the Organization and causes resentment of UN Member States. In view of this aggression UN General Assembly on 27 March 2014 in its Resolution 68/262 “Territorial integrity of Ukraine” drew attention to the violation of fundamental Purposes and Principles by Russia.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine expects Member States during this UN Anniversary year to take collective action in order to renew strict respect for the UN Purposes and Principles and to put an end to the violations of the Charter.
We call on UN Member States to take all possible measures to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine, which is one of the prerequisite for safeguarding the world order based on the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations. In this light, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine recalls the Appeal of the President of Ukraine to the Security Council and the UN Secretary-General on the deployment of the UN peacekeeping and security operation in Ukraine that was approved by the Parliament of Ukraine on 17 March 2015.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deems it necessary to seize the 70th Anniversary of the Organization with the view to implement important reforms at the UN, aimed at increasing efficiency of its activities in all vital for mankind areas. Ukraine proved its commitment to the UN reform during the Presidency at the 52nd session of the UN General Assembly by Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, prominent Ukrainian diplomat and a member of the Ukrainian Parliament of III-V convocations.
Primary attention in this process should be given to the modernization of the UN Security Council in the areas of expansion of its membership as well as the improvement of its working methods.
The situation when Russia has twice abused the right of veto during the consideration by the UN Security Council of the consequences of its aggression against Ukraine, is the convincing evidence of the urgency to reform the institution of right of veto so as to eliminate the possibility of its abuse to conceal the crime of aggression by a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine welcomes and supports the international initiatives which meet this purpose and are aimed at gradual limitation of the right of veto with the aim of its further complete abolition.
We believe that the membership of the Security Council also needs renewal as it shall reflect the realities of the 21st century via increased representation of African, Asian and Latin American states, as well as mandatory ensuring an additional non-permanent seat for the countries of the Eastern European Group.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine notes the importance of the next Secretary-General’s election in 2016 for the UN future. We express our conviction that the main criteria in the selection of candidates for this high post must be professional qualities and commitment to the uncompromising defence of the full and unconditional implementation of the Purposes and Principles of the UN. We note that the Eastern European Group is the only regional group of the Organization during the whole history of the UN that has never been represented at the position of the Secretary General.
On the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations we reaffirm Ukraine's unconditional commitment and readiness to continue contributing to the implementation of the Purpose enshrined in the United Nations Charter to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. We are convinced that the achievement of this objective will be the cornerstone of Ukraine's non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council should our state be elected to this Body for the term 2016-2017.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine calls on UN Member States to support the candidature of Ukraine at the elections to the UN Security Council to be held on the 15th October 2015. Over the 70-year history of the UN, Ukraine has justified the confidence of the Organization three times as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, including in 2000-2001 after restoring our state independence.
While the Russian Federation over the 25-year period of its membership in the UN has launched and is fuelling a number of flames of destabilization of its neighbors, Ukraine - one of the UN Founding Member States - confirms its commitment to the United Nations Organization as a core element of the modern world’s security architecture.
The Verkhovna Rada expresses its confidence that successful future of the Organization may only be possible under the condition of a universal and genuine commitment of all Member States to the UN Charter, their strict respect of its spirit and letter.