Nordic Statement on Strengthening Accountability and Justice for Serious Violations of International Law
Mr.
President,
I have the
honour to deliver this statement on behalf of Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden
- and my own country - Denmark.
Mr.
President,
It is
appalling to hear reports of atrocity crimes continuously being committed
around the world.
Genocide,
war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other gross violations of
international law can never be excused.
Russia’s
unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine has once again reminded us of
the importance of an international response to atrocities. We have witnessed
indiscriminate killings of civilians as well as sexual and gender-based
violence and attacks on civilian infrastructure, including on schools and
hospitals. Conflict-related sexual violence and rape are a blatant
violation of human rights and may constitute war crimes. It is not an
inevitable by-product of war, but a crime that can be prevented and must be
punished.
Mr.
President,
We strongly
urge Russia to comply with the legally binding order of the International Court
of Justice of 16th March and immediately suspend their military
operations in Ukraine.
We fully
support the investigation by the ICC prosecutor into the situation in Ukraine
as well as national investigations. All perpetrators must be held accountable.
Important
work is also carried out on the ground by several actors, including the OHCHR
and civil society to collect and preserve evidence.
We also
welcome accountability initiatives such as the establishment of the Commission
of Inquiry on Ukraine and the activation of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism.
The Group
of Friends of Accountability following the Aggression against Ukraine will
continue to support these efforts.
Mr.
President,
Atrocities
are not contained to the war in Ukraine. It is equally important to continue
the fight for accountability in Sudan, Syria, Myanmar, Ethiopia and elsewhere.
Victims of atrocities deserve justice everywhere.
Criminal
responsibility for the most serious international crimes must be achieved
through the domestic and international prosecution of the individuals
responsible. We are unwavering in our support for the International Criminal
Court.
We are also
committed to the elaboration of a Convention on crimes against humanity, which
would give States the necessary additional tools to prevent and punish such
crimes at national level.
Mr.
President,
The
Security Council is entrusted with the primary responsibility to maintain
international peace and security. In fulfilling its mandate, it must respond
decisively to atrocity crimes wherever they occur.
The use of
veto in the Council is unacceptable in the context of atrocity crimes.
We welcome
the resolution on the veto-initiative adopted by the General Assembly in April,
which is a step in the right direction.
We fully
support and urge other UN members to join initiatives to limit the use of veto
in this context, including the ACT-code of conduct and the French/Mexican
initiative.
The
Security Council also has the power to advance accountability by referring
situations to the ICC. We urge the Council also to look into further ways it
can support the work of the ICC, in particular in relation to the situations it
has referred to the Court.
Mr.
President,
Our
ultimate goal must be to prevent atrocity crimes from happening in the first
place. Rigorous compliance with international law, in particular international
humanitarian law and human rights law, is the only way to achieve this.
As
enshrined in the responsibility to protect, the primary
responsibility lies with the State to protect its populations from atrocity
crimes. When atrocities do occur, accountability must be ensured to help
prevent these crimes from happening again and deliver justice to victims. I
assure you that the Nordic countries are steadfast supporters in the global
fight against impunity.
I thank you.