Statement by H.E. Mr. Motohide Yoshikawa
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the United Nations Open Arria Formula Meeting
On “Impunity for Human Rights Violations in Crimea Must Stop”

 

Friday, 18 March 2016

 

 

Mr. Moderator,

 

          I wish to express my appreciation to the Ukrainian Delegation for convening this Arria-meeting. We are grateful to Prince Zeid, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other distinguished panelists for shedding light on the human rights situation in Crimea. They were all very informative.

 

          Before I speak on the human rights situation in Crimea, let me state very briefly the position of Japan on Crimea. We are opposed to any attempt to modify Ukraine’s borders through the threat or use of force or other unlawful means. The so-called “referendum” held in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in March 2014 cannot constitute the basis for any alteration of the status of Crimea. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine must be respected. We call upon all States to refrain from actions to the contrary.

 

          On the human rights situation in Crimea, Japan is deeply concerned.

 

          For the past two years, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as other internationally recognized human rights monitors have published numerous reports on the human rights situation in Crimea. They have reported a number of serious, systematic and ongoing human rights abuses. I would not go into details, because we have just heard a comprehensive report by the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

 

          We support various efforts made by the international and regional community to improve the human rights situation in Crimea, such as the adoption of the resolutions at the Human Rights Council. We also commend the valuable commitments by the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)　and the Council of Europe to monitor the situation in Crimea and their efforts to resolve the Crimean Crisis.

 

          As a matter of priority, we call upon the authorities in Crimea to cooperate fully and immediately with the OHCHR and to allow unconditional access of human rights mechanisms to Crimea.

 

          Japan would like to continue to address the issue of human rights in Crimea through various approaches, at both the international and the regional levels, in cooperation with all relevant parties.

 

          I thank you, Mr. Moderator, and Ambassador Yelchenko.