russia. the biggest single supplier for the european union is russia. and about half of that goes across ukraine. depending on what happens in the dynamics between russia and ukraine, you could physically disrupt the amount of gas that get into europe. it met us for heating and for electricity. it matters a little bit less now that we are in the springtime. in the past, russian austerity in the winter, you can feel it a little -- it is a bit more acute. april and may, not as much. but this is something everyone in europe is on tender hooks about. let's talk supply and demand. the first is the chart for energy. the top is russian gas reserves followed by iran, qatar, and the united states on down. the russian gas supply, how big is that in the world market, the

russian supply? .uest: they are the big player they supply in europe and there are small quantities that should be going east to china and that is actually something under discussion this week, and then next month vladimir putin will go to china. they are one of the major gas suppliers. years, you'vecent all probably heard about the natural gas boom in the u.s.. in the u.s. is now producing as much gas as russia. that is true, but it is also pretty much all for domestic consumption. the u.s. may start exporting gas to other markets in a few years time, other than mexico and some transfers to canada, a few out of alaska, it is not a big exporter at this point. share of russia's natural gas exports by destination, this is for 2012. guest: germany is the big single buyer. the smaller european countries are quite vulnerable as well. dependentem are 100%

on russian gas. you look at the case of the baltic states, belarus. ukraine depends on it. and the further west you get, the u.k., spain, france, countries like that have other alternatives. there is gas that comes from north africa by tanker. there is gas that comes by pipe length -- pipeline. there is gas that comes from norway. the further you move from east to west, the dependency on russia lessons a little bit. host: explain who gas promise. guest: it is the gas giant. there is a close relationship the kremlin.om and it is used very much to support russian state policy. and sometimes, the kremlin and gas from -- gazprom are actually in conflict. there are times when the kremlin will say, i prefer you to do

this or that. such as, let's try to make a deal with the chinese or make a deal with other partners in other markets so we are not dependent on just one set of customers. host: is there someone in particular that putin has to go to for this? guest: i don't know the exact situation over there, but let's say, exxon mobil in the united states, which is a private corporation that works in the interest of its shareholders, in the case of gazprom, they have a very different relationship with the powers that be. host: let's talk about the strategic relationship with ukraine in the movement of this across europe. theral gas flows through russian pipelines that flow through ukraine. ukraine kind of becomes a choke point for a lot of these pipeline, correct? been inguest: this has the is storage vulnerability

between them. going back to 2006 and 2009, both times they were shut off in the dead of winter, which affects not just ukraine, but customers downstream, germany and everyone. that is because most of the gas was still going straight through ukraine. when that happened, the european union was a little bit upset the cubs ukraine has not always been the most reliable transit state. there were allegations in the past they were siphoning some of the gas meant to be shipped downstream for their own use. the russians certainly blamed veryne for being a unreliable middleman. that is why in recent years, russia has been trying to do an end run around ukraine. there is a northern pipeline that is already operational. there is a southern cup -- pipeline that russia is trying to build and the idea is to continue to supply gas to europe, but then cut ukraine out of the equation. russia starting to raise prices, as you say, an ukraine. does ukraine have any sort of

strike position in this, in the fact that because these are flowing through they could maybe cut these pipelines or stop russia from sending its natural gas west? they: the problem is, if did that, they would end up harming the state in the european union that are nominally supporting them right now and helping them to get imf loans. they just signed a secession agreement with the european union. the leverage that ukraine has a somewhat limited at this point. like i said before, one of the good things for ukraine and europe as a whole is that it was a warm winter and we are coming into spring. we don't have these ice cold in 2000ures as we did six and in 2009. demand for heat were lower and gas storage levels were readily terribly high. they could idea that hold out for a few months even

if russia was to cut off supply, which was not the case five or six years ago. host: and how much cushion does russia have in these exports if they are not getting the buyers or the spending they've seen in the past? alwaysthis is why it is such a double-edged sword. we always talk about the need for europe to get russian energy, but about three quarters are going toles these european customers. it is something in the order of $100 million a day. if you're bored to boycott russian gas and say -- if europe were to boycott russian gas and say we will not buy your product anymore, it would be a huge hit to moscow. talking to keep johnson in our spotlight on magazine. boudin aims his energy weapon had ukraine. -- nine ns can call

democrats can call -- an independent can call? -- can call -- with keithe on johnson. this ongoing drama between the ukraine and russia is like a very bad play. there are no good actors on either side. and the ending can only be very tragic. i will wait for comment. this is one of those situations -- you know, a lot of people have talked in the past about the problems that are endemic in the ukrainian vertical culture. of cronyn, and a lot business associates involved in the gas flow. it is true that a large part of the political culture that existed before the december uprising was due to this natural

gas trade anyway. but a question from james on twitter brings in a possible u.s. response. he asks why haven't we announced we will pull all the stops out to expedite natural gas exports to europe? guest: administration officials have been quite vocal, partly in response to european request -- but the meeting of the security council is called to order. the provisional agenda for this 28 february,r 2014, for the purposes of the ukraine to the united nations addressing the security council. the agenda is adopted. in accordance with rule 37 of rulesuncils provisional

for procedure, i advised the representative of ukraine to participate in this meeting. it is so decided. in accordance with rule 39 of the councils provisional rules mr.rocedure, i advised yvonne savona, assistant secretary-general for human rights, to participate in this meeting. this was decided. the security council will now begin its consideration of item two of the agenda. floor to mr.e yvonne -- ivan some on a much. >> madame president, members of the security council, you were briefed last week on the latest political development in

ukraine. my briefing today, as you requested, will address the situation of human rights in ukraine and update you on developments since my last briefing on the 19th of march. i will highlight key human rights issues, taking into account the most recent events in the east. finding ofare on the my two recent missions to ukraine, as well as on the first few weeks of activities of the u.n. human rights monitoring mission in ukraine. at the outset, i wish to emphasize the strong intro linkages between chronic human rights violations in ukraine, the my don protest, and the current situation in the east. almost one third of the population in ukraine reportedly lives under the poverty line.

huge disparities in standards of living and inadequate access to basic social services attribute to contract -- corruption and mismanagement. those were amongst the underlying factors that led to the protests. protest that started in kiev and swept across the country from november, 2013 to february, 2014 revealed a deep-rooted sense of dissatisfaction of the people of ukraine. violence by the security forces --inst pure european pro-european peaceful protesters in kiev on november 30, 2013 created outrage and led to radicalization of the protests and clashes between protesters and police. legislation that curtailed freedom of expression and assembly and enhance a sense of

impunity by the police was rushed through in mid-january and led to violent actions based on radical protesters as well. made in is still to be bringing to justice the perpetrators of serious human not -- human rights violations committed during the protests. during the protest, there were 121 persons killed and still over 100 persons remain unaccounted for. the general prosecutor's office has initiated criminal proceedings and it is important to ensure that accountability of the perpetrators. during the protests, there were national,ssions of racial, or religious hatred based on groups and individuals. some attacks against the ethnic , in particularty

russians that were affiliated to the former government, were also reported. were neithere systematic nor widespread. they were isolated incidents which were then exaggerated through some biased meeting -- media reporting, fueling fear and insecurity amongst the ethnic russian community. there have also been some cases fromcitement to hatred certain groups, such as the so-called right sector. fear and insecurity breed when incitement to hatred, discrimination, or violence is not curtailed. it is therefore crucial that this issue be addressed as a welcomef priority and i steps already undertaken by the government and the prosecutor general of the ukraine to publicly condemn and investigate any such instances. in this context, it is clearly

unacceptable that one presidential candidates calls his followers to arm themselves in the east of the country, whether or not he is beaten because of his political views. monitors are verifying these serious allegations. , i visit fromnt the 21st to the 22nd of march was the most recent busy at -- visit to crimea by a senior u.n. official. i don't with a wide range of interlocutors, including civil society, local authorities, and especially victims themselves. this allowed me to obtain a first-hand impression of the situation. the media manipulation significantly contributed to a climate of fear and insecurity in the timeframe preceding the referendum. the military and so-called

self-defense groups, as well as soldiers in uniform without insignia, were not conducive to an environment in which voters could freely exercise their right to hold opinions and the right to freedom of expression during the referendum on the 16th of march. were allegations of harassment, aperture area rest, and torture by these groups -- arbitrary arrests, and torture .y these groups -- i stressed the obligations of the authorities in crimea to respect international human rights norms. that onso of concern the 11th of april, authorities have rushed the adoption of a new constitution.

it has raised important human rights concerns about the total lack of public debate as well as tartarsusion of crimean from the drafting of the new constitution. continue to be raised with regard to citizenship issues, in particular that those who do not accept russian citizenship will reportedly face many obstacles in guaranteeing their property and land rights, access to education and health care, and the enjoyment of other civil and political rights. visitedresident, when i eastern ukrainian march, the situation was already very tense. meanwhile, the situation has significantly deteriorated. activists, russian established the people's yeskblic of done yet --don

have taken a number of buildings in that region, including violence against officials. protesters continue to occupy the local building of the local security services. bysidents were beaten russian demonstrators, resulting in some 50 persons being injured. ongoing incidents and clashes between various groups of protesters, as well as with security forces, are of a serious concern. while reports indicate that the number of protesters, including some from outside the region, has not significantly increased -- and we are speaking of a couple thousand -- the level of violence and the proportion of armed protesters has. this has significant human

rights and locations. related human rights violations need to be , security forces must maintain public order in accordance with human rights standards. betweene clear lines what can be considered the exercise of the right to peaceful assembly and the violent behavior of armed protesters. however in all cases, security forces should not use force unnecessarily or excessively. the situation in the east, if not adequately oppressed as a matter of priority, risks seriously destabilizing the country as a whole. influenceexercise should takeuation immediate action to halt the violence. the arming of protesters and

they're transformation into quads i'd paramilitary forces must be stopped. anyone inciting violence and providing arms to protesters can be held accountable for the resulting tragic consequences. in order to de-escalate tensions across the country, all parties anuld be encouraged to start inclusive, sustained, and meaningful national dialogue ace on respect of legal obligations of ukraine under international human rights treaties already ratified. should take into consideration the concerns of all those who live in ukraine, including minorities, and address issues such as language rights and decentralization of the country. finally, i cannot stress enough the importance role that accurate human rights reporting

can play in preventing violence and diffusion tensions. tensions.g yesterday, we have issued our first report on the human rights situation in ukraine based on my two visits and the first month of the human rights monitoring. to issue ourintend second report on the 15th of may. anyone with militant -- relic relevant information on human rights violations should share it with us, so we can investigate if necessary, and include it in our next report. thank you. asked him for his briefing. i now give the floor to the members of the security council. i give the floor to the representative from lithuania. >> i thank you, madam president. i wish to thank the nigerian president for organizing this public briefing. i would also like to convey my appreciation to the assistant

secretary-general. the report presented on the 15th of april by the office of the hybrid presented on human rights clearly refutes russia's inflammatory narrative, in which it refuses to do justify its illegal actions in ukraine. while the report points out that there has been human suffering by the lack of a system of checks and balances and free elections, the blame is placed on the previous regime. the report indicates that underlying human rights violations were among the causes that led to a change in government. changestion of transformed a peaceful demonstration and led to the violence that ensued. the report indicates that since the current government took power at the end of february, tension decreased along with the

allegations of human rights violations. in crimea, the main concerns are linked to the russian sponsored development and the situation after the so-called referendum, which it had a direct impact in the enjoyment of human rights by local inhabitants, especially in the community who chose to boycott the referendum. that situation has just been described. many people may be forced to leave their home's and face other consequences arising from army is takeover. this is also confirmed by the -- from crimea's takeover. this is also confirmed by the special commission. the report also highlights the character -- the character of the referendum, which was held in violence and intimidation by armed groups. as you may recall, it was organized in a particularly hurried manner. without election observation, without a public debate on its merits, and without providing the exclusion list option.

the report indicates that in there is aaine, history long predating the current government of a feeling that the government does not represent their rights. this is clearly confirmed by the most recent statement by the un's special reference to her -- raconteur her -- rack int . the current human rights situation on minorities in ukraine and the civil and economic cultural conditions cannot justify any actions or excitement by any party, national or international. that is exactly what we have been saying all along. whatever the issues regarding the human rights, minority

rights situation in ukraine, crimea, or eastern ukraine in particular, none of these issues can ever justify the invasion or annexation of crimea, or the destabilization of ukraine. and could have and should have ofn resolved by way established and well tried specific instrument -- instruments with the assistance of organizations, such as osc and the council of europe, as well as the united nations. furthermore, the report notes that there are positive changes underway or under reflection in ukraine today, such as a willingness to break with past injustices and elaborate a new vision for the country. these conclusions contained in the report are confirmed by the current government efforts to strengthen the rule of law, combat corruption, ensure minority rights, and address the issue of decentralization. in fact, the acting president recently proposed to hold a referendum on decentralization of the country together with the national elections to be held on the 25th of may. all of the above points to the

fact that a crisis provoked in ukraine is not about protection of one particular ethnic minority or language minority. crain stream is radicalism. but we knew that all along as well. many represented as have repeatedly refuted such allegations. among other things, it is about ukraine's destabilization with a view to obstructing and preventing the may 25 elections, which the interim government in kiev announced the moment it was powerted, for fear that may slip out of the fingers of the likes of yanukovych and his cronies. it is also about a naked land grab and russia's greater political and military ambitions. once again, in a clear violation constitution,

heavily armed militants without any insignia occupy local government buildings, declaring independence, which is a sad caricature of self-determination in defiance of national and international law. furthermore, the systematic and well oiled propaganda against ukraine and his leadership is an extremely dangerous game, because as we have seen time and again from various situations around the world, including greece and the central african republic, it is much too easy to release the genie out of the bottle, a genie of incitement and hate, but infinitely more difficult to contain it afterward. therefore want russia to stop it campaign before it is too late. international bodies have repeatedly called for the path of restraint and dialogue. the doors to this path are still open with geneva waiting for the quadrilateral meeting on the 17th of april. and we once again call on the russian federation to pursue that path. madam president, a lot remains to be done for the current and

future governments of ukraine. we welcome the fact that relevant legislation is now being put in place, improving access to education, health and social services, providing quality of life for all its citizens. addressing the grievances of the previous justice system, combating impunity, which is of major concern. reporting on human rights violations will help to permit manipulation of information by whomever. regularfore support updates on the situation in the country. we also have yet to provide mid-and long-term funding for the mission going beyond june. this mission must can can -- must continue its work in ukraine and including in crimea. we are looking forward to

receiving the findings of u.n. special representative on minority issues's visit to ukraine in april. it is also crucial to ensure independent monitoring on the human rights situation in crimea specifically. we call on occupying authorities to allow the human rights mission in ukraine to working crimea, including the opening of a sub offices. president, the people of russia and ukraine have the conviction of propaganda and misinformation and have provoked actions by local militants with external assistance. the situation is very tense. but a reversal is still possible. it is time to heed the calls to .e-escalate

and stop interfering in two ukraine's internal affairs. the current government is set to address human rights violations, decentralization, power corruption, and rule of law. it is in our common interest that this government and the future government of ukraine should be allowed to carry out this work unobstructed. we must also support its efforts to ensure that a free and fair election on the 25th of may with the participation of all ukraine in all its rich diversity can take place. i thank you, madam president. >> i think the representative from lithuania for her sentiment. i give the floor to the russian federation. russian coast reckon -- [speaking russian] delegation called quite insistently upon a number

of members of the council to use all tools available to them to prevent the use of force in the crisis in the eastern regions of ukraine. in response, we heard a number of ambiguous statements, and some delegations expressed their understanding for the plans of the ukrainian authorities to use force against their fellow countrymen. the result is clear. result of ahe forcible to, a third power in kiev who has chosen to ignore the demands of the inhabitants of the southeast and the unconstitutional use of armed force to pacify their own people. referring to it as bandits and terrorists. there is a risk of a real civil war in ukraine. the first blood has already been shed. the citizens of the southeast repeatedly warned the authorities that they are ready to serve as human shields.

in a number of regions, regular units of the ukrainian army and internal forces openly objected to firing on their fellow citizens. there are cases where troops switched over to the side of the people. is this, perhaps, why the self-appointed leaders in kiev are using fighters from the right sector and other illegal armed formations? on whose heels they, in essence, came to power. individuals were deployed in black uniforms, individuals belonging neither to the ministerial defense of ukraine, nor to the internal forces. few here canry harbor any illusions regarding the independent actions of kiev. this is where the question arises. will survive to launch an aerial force i those countries and continue to whisper in the years of

ukrainian leaders. extricating oneself from this large-scale crisis, which has impacted ukraine is both simple and complex at the same time. ukrainians must launch a dialogue, ensuring it is comprehensive and full-fledged in nature. mustegions of the country participate on an equal basis with equal rights in resolving pressing issues. all of this must be reflected in a deeply reformed constitution, one that must be seen by the multiethnic ukrainian society and a sound one, designed for the long term basis. what is needed for ukraine to extricate itself from this crisis. this topic will be the main one at the geneva meeting, which thus far remains on the agenda. this must also be the main objective of the international community when it speaks to its

concerns regarding the events in ukraine. one must now start a real rather than cosmetic cost to shall reform. --am president constitutional reform. madam president, today is the day to receive confirmed information on the situation in ukraine. if the international forces there want to be present in the country, they must objectively and in unbiased way assess the situation. unfortunately, the report that was published yesterday speaks to quite the opposite. this document is biased in nature. it shows not to notice the of the core and -- that the current authorities in ukraine became so after an armed coup, rather than civilized action. -- on thes of the forces of law and order and the the buildings in are qualified as peaceful

protests, quite surprisingly. the demonstrations of the citizens of ukraine in the eastern region of the country on the other hand are deemed to be illegal actions. in the report, it is stated that the ukraine government allegedly intends to leave behind the unfairness of the past and to elaborate a new vision for ukraine's future. in this, unfortunately, a number of inconvenient facts are left aside, some of which point to the fact that the very activities of the government from the very start were of violence that itself has created. no attention has been paid to the growing violence and neofascism. the term neofascism is not used at all, in fact. the right sector, and ultra , [indiscernible] the participation of minorities in the political life of the

country is not taken into account. for the fanning of the calls of russian and the mentee.and theo one has heard this, slang in the past, we are referring to russians and jews. i would like to remind you that this individual is fifth in terms of the most blatant anti-semites in europe. and this party is currently in charge of the forstmann -- ministries in kiev. killing offor the criminals. they must be immediately arrested and brought to justice. and rather than to create the skeleton of a national guard and current leading elite, despite

the fact that the report in ukrainian society is quite fairly described as bilingual, the real situation of the russian speaking population of the country is not reflected rightly. sometimes the russian speaking population are referred to as people who are not full-fledged citizens and so forth. andharassment by radicals violence by represented as of do notmer authorities agree that the country continues. and on the seventh of april, number of participants of the of the justices were harassed during the night of april 15. the headquarters of the communist party of ukraine was attacked, unfortunately. the participants of the current kiev regime were not referred to in the report. instead, there are references to

a number of anonymous witnesses who saw something somewhere, or perhaps heard something. what also does not stand up to the fact was the assessment of the situation that would free and -- of freedom of speech freedom of association. there is nothing to attempt to prevent -- nothing to attempt to shed light on the situation in the country. concerns regarding the current situation were heard not only by , but also by the .uropean commission a type of human rights and rule of law that can be referred to after attacks were can't -- carried out even on candidate. it has finally been turned into a type of crew like democracy.

unfounded inventions regarding the situation in crimea. in principle, they cannot serve as the subject for discussion .uring the meeting today and they are not worthy of such discussion. the impressions being created, that the report is fabricated to reach predetermined conclusions, has a political tone that was to in the first statement the ukraine and that there are port -- the report has an unbiased opinion. theill closely follow reports and look at how future reports will reflect the violence in the southeast of the country unleashed by the so-called authorities in kiev.

we advise all of those who not just in words, but actually as champions of human rights in this country, to devote special to kiev's self-proclaimed authority, which threatens the southeast of the country with mass violations of human rights. for several, aimed against the russians speaking population of the country. i thank you, madam president. >> i think the representative of the russian federation. i give the floor to the representative of china. you -- to the representative of chad. >> and cube -- thank you, madam president. i would like to convey my thanks to the secretary general for human rights for his briefing. chad remains extremely concerned by the situation in ukraine.

the situation is marked by violations of human rights and leadnt actions likely to to unpredictable consequences. chad condemns all forms of violations of human rights, and any violence, regardless of the perpetrators. that an independent inquiry be quick -- be carried out at determine responsibilities in violations of human rights that have been committed so far. however, it seems to us to be difficult to clarify the situation, the field of human rights violations without a minimum of stability and reducing the tension that currently prevails in ukraine. partieswhy we urge all to exercise restraint and invite

pride ofn to give place to a peaceful settlement to the crisis. we believe that a political solution is possible within the framework of direct and candid negotiations between the , mindful of the basic principles in the united nations charter. to this end, we encourage all to give negotiations a chance, and to back the mediation negotiation efforts that are underway. we cherish the hope that a meeting scheduled for april 17 in geneva will enable us to make progress in a search for a

solution to this crisis. i thank you. chadthink the resistive of for his assessment and give the floor to the representative of the united kingdom. >> thank you, madam president. i would like to thank the secretary general for his briefing today. i would also like to thank the human rights monitoring mission in ukraine, for producing the report published yesterday. united kingdom welcomes this report and its findings. today, it is the most comprehensive and independent assessment of the human rights situation in ukraine since the onset of this crisis. an importantre contribution to our discussions on the situation in ukraine. attempts to discredit the report as biased or politically motivated, as my russian colleague has just done, like all credibility. madam president, the report is

clear that human rights violations were a reit -- a root cause of the protest that began in november last year. the report found that since the change of government in late february, allegations of human rights violations have decreased . but we do not underestimate the magnitude of the task ahead. in this regard, it is encouraging that the report finds, and i quote, "clear indications of the willingness by the present government to ensure a break with the past injustices and to elaborate a new vision for ukraine's future." the united kingdom is fully committed to supporting ukraine in this endeavor. madam president, the report comprehensively refutes assertions made by the russian federation in this chamber and elsewhere to justify its illegal intervention in ukraine. and i will give just three examples.

the first of march, president putin requested authority to use russia's armed forces in ukraine on the basis that there was, and i quote, "a threat to the lives of the citizens of the russian federation, our comp entry it, and the personnel of the armed forces." this claim of repeated underpinned -- this claim repeatedly underpinned russia's actions in ukraine. report concluded that, in fact, attacks against the russian in ukraine were neither widespread nor systematic. it further assesses, and i quote, "russian speakers have not been subject to threats in crimea." supports those of other independent authorities, including the osc high commission of minorities, who also found no evidence of violations or threats to the lives of russian speakers.

russia bases its justification for the illegal annexation of crimea on the legitimacy of the 16 march referendum. on 18 march in his address to the russian duma, president said, and i quote, "a referendum was held in crimea on 16 march in full compliance with democratic procedures and international law -- an international norms." in stark contrast to this bold assertion, the report concludes that "the presence of paramilitary and so-called self-defense groups, as well as soldiers in uniform without insignia widely believed to be from the russian federation, was not conducive to an environment in which the will of the voters could be exercised freely." "theeport also states, delegation received many reports of vote rigging, including cases of non-ukrainian citizens participating in the referendum, as well as individuals voting

numerous times in different locations. locations." furthermore, there are port expresses "serious concerns of theiolations political rights of the inhabitants of crimea." it cites objection, harassment, and violence against peaceful demonstrators, arbitrary arrest, and torture. it also expresses deep concern at the consequences of introducing russian citizenship and estimates that 3000 crimean tartars have been displaced. lastly, the report contains damning evidence that russia has used propaganda and increaseation to tensions and de-stabilize ukraine. it says that the russian state television and radio broadcasting company has been " disguising information about in an attempt to

justify crimea's return to the russian federation." report states that greatly exaggerated stories and misinformed reports were "systematically used to create a climate of fear and insecurity are cap -- insecurity." andupport russia's case annexation of crimea. madam president, turning to current events, the united kingdom supports fully the right to freedom of assembly and expression. those ukrainians who wish to demonstrate against the government are entitled to do so. provided that they do so peacefully. but there is a line. well-equipped paramilitary units armed with automatic weapons are .ot peaceful protesters a legitimate sovereign state must insist on a monopoly of the use of force. we express particular concern, as the secretary general did in his briefing today, about the army of our testers and their

transformation -- the army of protesters and their transformation into quasi-paramilitary forces. yesterday, they began to restore order in eastern ukraine in donetsk. operations will proceed gradually, responsibly, and prudently. the foreign minister emphasized that the operations were initiated only after all other means to resolve the situation had been exhausted. and we have received assurances that the operation will comply fully with ukrainian and international law, safeguard human rights, and uphold ukraine's international obligations. the ukrainian government has acted responsibly throughout this crisis, even in the face of immense provocation, not least the illegal annexation of its territory, and despite continuing interference from russia. we therefore have confidence that ukrainian security forces to continue to act

proportionately and in the interest of all citizens of ukraine. we have heard from the permanent representative of russia today, a new fantasy narrative about the relevant in eastern ukraine. i have no doubt that future independent reports from the office of the high commissioner of human rights will prove this new narrative to be as false as the russian narrative on crimea has comprehensive been shown to be. we remind russia that it cannot use the situation in ukraine for which it bears significant responsibility as a pretext for further illegal military activity. madam president, our appeal to russia is simple. stop interfering in the internal affairs of ukraine. move your troops away from ukraine's borders. rescind the authorization to use , andary force in ukraine enter into dialogue. the european union want to see russia as a partner, as a friend, and as an ally stop a

stable, peaceful, and prosperous ukraine is just as much in russia's interest as it is in our own. a strategy pursuing of destabilization, we call on russia to take its place at the negotiating table and explain its concerns. we hope that the talks scheduled for 17th of april will provide just such an opportunity. thank you. >> i think the representative of the united kingdom for his statement. theve the floor to representative from the united states. lex thank you so much, madam president, and thank you assistant secretary-general for your briefing today and for your diligent work on this controversial issue. we meet today to discuss the work of the u.n.'s human rights monitoring mission in ukraine and a timely report of the office of the high commissioner for human rights. after weeks of russian

disinformation and propaganda, this gives us yet another opportunity to focus on facts. the independent and impartial reporting we have heard today is essential to prevent the kind of distortions that may lead to further instability in an situation, astible situation that continues to grow more dangerous every day. today's remarks by the russian the -- or thee independent report was disparaged as biased and unfounded is deeply worrying. if you don't like the message, the strategy appears to be metaphorically, shoot the messenger. even if the attacks are anti--- our tax on the entire international community, which for independent reporting. we urge you to teach you to

provide independent reporting ,nd not be deterred by slander intimidation, being practiced by those who do not like fax to have proven to be convenient, and truths that incredibly refute russia's false and self-justifying claims. let's be clear. witnesseds the world in crimea and the denials of russian involvement in the lead up to it illegal annexation and occupation are repeating itself -- repeating themselves in eastern ukraine. again, the region has been transformed almost overnight from a state of relative calm to manufactured unrest. over the last several days, heavily armed pro-russian the cityt have seized administration, police stations, and other government buildings .n 11 cities in donetsk every major city in the region has at least one building under occupation. it is clear that these actions were not a set of spontaneous

events, or homegrown, but rather a well rated professional campaign of incitement, separatism, and sabotage of the ukrainian state. and there is substantial evidence of involvement from is now diverting attention from its own actions, its own territorial expansion, its own fear mongering by trying to change the subject. it won't work. action --st between the actions of the ukrainian government and the russian troops could not be starker. ukrainian security forces have responded more carefully and did more measured ways to provocations in the east that any of usifficult for to accept in our own countries. the ukrainian government has repeatedly sought to negotiate with the armed groups have seized public buildings and established unauthorized roadblocks in eastern ukraine in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully through dialogue. ukrainian officials have offered and misty.

we appreciate the government statements -- have offered amnesty. we appreciate the government workments that they will with them. we continue to call for restraint, privately and publicly. toiously, the best way de-escalate the situation is for the armed militants to leave the buildings they have seized. speaks to anport earlier time in the crisis, it is important to note that even several weeks ago, the alreadyng mission had received allegations that some of the people stoking unrest in ukrainian were not citizens, but in fact, agitators coming from the russian federation. it is a critical question, whether russia is continuing its policy of seeking to destabilize and ultimately annexed land from its neighbor. establishing the truth, it is essential that the human rights monitoring commission go forward with this work and have full access to every part of the country,

including crimea. the united states commends the ukraine government for facilitating the missions activities and for supporting activitiesongoing and efforts to monitor every aspect of the elections. let's consider some of the truth set forward in the high commissioner's report. from december of last year until february, 2014, the special police and other elements of the federal security apparatus used excessive force against antigovernment protesters. this deadly violence did not end until former president yanukovych abandoned his office and fled the country. since late february when the new government assumed office, evidence of human rights abuses have discrete -- have decreased significantly, except in crimea. let me emphasize that in this new independent report, the only region that has suffered a deterioration of human rights is

the part over which the government in kiev as least control. the role ofere russian authorities is as profound as it is illegal, journalists and human rights defenders have faced harassment and torture. censorship is common. and the presence of paramilitary and soldiers "widely believed to be from the russian federation" ofe sharply hindered freedom expression. the report raises valid concerns about the introduction of russian citizenship in a region that does not belong to russia. this termination against ukrainian citizens inside their own country and a plethora of practical issues related to pensions, with wages, health care, labor rights, and access to justice. allegations have been repeated over and over again by russian officials that there have been systematic attacks against ethnic russians in crimea and in ukraine in the

east, and the jewish communities have also come under threat. the reality is, there have been a few isolated incidents against individual members belonging to minority groups and we should, and do, condemn these incidents. the report makes clear that these incidents were neither widespread, nor a reflection of government policy. reflects vivid evidence that the ukrainian government has sought actively to safeguard the rights of all citizens within its turks action. -- within its jurisdiction. has sought to deny the realities inside the report, the leaders in ukraine are making a good-faith effort to implement its recommendations. among other initiatives, they are moving ahead with constitutional reform, plans to power, to decentralize and initiatives to curb the corruption that flourished so blatantly under the former president. hasall, the new government acted with tremendous restraint under extraordinarily difficult conditions. there will always be more to do, but the allegation that the

government is primarily to the blame for the present tension is completely basis. baseless. i want to draw from the human rights report in order to show that the charges against the united nations are inaccurate. among the report's recommendations to the government of ukraine are the following, ensure accountability for all human rights violations during the unrest, ensure inclusivity and equal participation in public affairs and public life, prevent media manipulation, combat tolerance -- intolerance and extremism, and it went measures to eradicate disruption. this includes actively resolving cases of missing persons. disarm and disband paramilitary units. investigate hate speech and media manipulation.

these are not the recommendations of a biased report. ofame president, the release this human rights monitoring report should remind us of all of our sponsored early. the government of ukraine has the responsibly to continue its reform initiatives and to ensure inclusivity and respect human rights of all groups. have aple of ukraine duty to cooperate with the government and fellow citizens in seeking to resolve disputes through peaceful means. the russian federation has an obligation to fulfill its commitments under international law, to respect the rights and territorial sovereignty of itsine come and to back professed desire for stability with actions designed to achieve that goal, instead of its opposite. the russian federation must move its troops back from the border region for my withdraw its forces from crimea, and cease all efforts to destabilize ukraine. the international community has a responsibility to support the people of ukraine in their desire to build a strong and united country with a robust

democracy and effective national and regional institutions. we have a collective responsibility as well to do all we can to prevent further bloodshed and to find a peaceful and just has been a tragic and unnecessary crisis. tomorrow in geneva, senior representatives from ukraine, russia, the eu and united states are set to discuss the escalation, demobilization, support for elections and constitutional reform. my government looks forward to participating in that meeting as an opportunity to discuss this through diplomacy before it is too late. >> i think the representative of the united states for her statement. i give the floor to the representative of china. >> madam president, i would like to thank the assistant secretary-general for his briefing. china is deeply concerned about the recent escalation of the

situation in ukraine. we hope all parties there can restraint,exercise and prevent further deterioration of the situation. the priority now is to work within the framework of law and order, resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation, and fully accommodate the legitimate rights, interests and aspirations of all regions and ethnic communities. is the only thing that can bring lasting peace and stability to ukraine, in keeping with the long-term and fundamental interests of the nation as a whole and its community. we are of the view that the ukrainian issue is highly complex and the only way out is to stay on the track of the goal settlement, a favorable external environment is indispensable in this regard.

china has been calling on the international community to give more constructively to de-escalate the situation in ukraine. a three-point proposal am seeking a clinical puzzle. we have taken notes on the ongoing discussion on the dialogue and we welcome these which are largely in line with the direction of the chinese proposal. china supports the early launch andialogue between parties fully considering and accommodating all conditions and concerns and seek a solution that is except will to all. >> thank you, madam president. >> i think the representative of china for his statement. call on the representative of australia.

>> thank you, madam president, and thank you assistant secretary-general for the report and briefing. it is obviously very necessary the council gives such focus to the human rights situation in ukraine. we have heard repeated assertions about rats against particular groups but have seen .ittle evidence these claims have been used as a justification for continuing interference in ukraine's affairs, including the threat and use of force contrary to the u.n. charter. need to be very clear eyed and responsible about the situation on the ground and the true nature of the challenges facing ukrainian people. this report is what the counseling to see at this google point in such an unstable and dangerous environment will stop

it seems to provide a balanced and neutral depiction of the human rights situation and a clear picture of events leading to the protests, the situation prior to the referendums held in crimea and the current situation in crimea and eastern ukraine. russia has made various assertions about the motivations of the protesters and the report makes clear human rights violations were among the root causes of the demonstrations that took laced throughout ukraine and in particular in kiev. the protests were not driven by a fascists agenda but were pushed for more representative and effective government. the heavy-handed response from security forces was a catalyst for their escalation. these actions by security forces came against a backdrop of a long-standing culture of impunity for human rights violations, including by the police, and we welcome reports

that the new ukrainian authorities have committed to investigating these violations and holding perpetrators to account. sheds light on the events in crimea. russia has consistently argued that russian speaking minorities were threatened with repression. it has used this reasoning to justify its decision to take control of and annexed crimea. there was next clear no evidence of harassment or attacks on ethnic russians and ofteria -- and crimea ahead that but harassment of ethnic russians by ukrainian extremists serve to create a climate of fear. since the referendum of 16 march, measures have been taken in crimea which are a deep concern from a human rights perspective. these include the introduction of russian citizenship, making it difficult for those who choose to maintain their

ukrainian citizenship to stay in crimea and raising concerns about legal residency and the right to work. at the 31 march formula meeting to the council, the situation is particularly concerning. the report confirms this, noting the number of is placed by me and partners is estimated to be 300,000. the actions of paramilitary groups in crimea remain outside the life-threatening. the report calls for their disbandment. independent and impartial reporting in crimea would deter violations, stimulate accountability, and prevent the spreading of resentment ablation. carefully at russian minorities across ukraine and find nothing to support the claims by russia about threats to them. this point dos on

not hold. although there were some attacks against the ethnic russian community, in particular those affiliated to the previous government, these were neither systematic or widespread. has just told us, and i quote again, these were isolated incidents which were then exaggerated, fueling fear and insecurity among the ethnic russian community. the report does make the proposals, which we should all support on the protection of minorities, including the recommendation to ensure minority groups are consulted in the -- consulted in laws on language and that the treatment of those associated with the previous government is in of law.ce with the rule we welcome the government of ukraine's willingness to ensure break with past injustices and create a best huge are for the people in ukraine.

it is crucial the people of ukraine are able to decide on the future direction of their own country and the we therefore fully support the upcoming elections on 25 may and call on all parties in ukraine and the international community to support a free and fair ballot will stop ukraine must be allowed to prepare for these elections without outside coercion in or any its affairs. the national community has asked russia to stop its destabilization in eastern ukraine and withdraws forces from the provocative posture they have assumed on ukraine's borders. ukraine's owner response has been restrained and responsible. the talks scheduled to take laced tomorrow between russia, the united states, ukraine and that you is a crucial opportunity for genuine dialogue.

the latest combustible event in eastern ukraine, whereas the ambassador has said the first light has been shed, make it essential russia engage seriously in this dialogue. thank you. i think the representative of australia for his date. i give the floor to the representative of france. >> madam president, the report which we have before us is damning for two reasons. firstly described in the strictest possible terms am of the outcome of years of corruption and abuse by former president yannick overage and his team, criminal in nature as it was, is it any wonder that wounded from years of incompetence and corruption demonstrated there's no foreign involvement here. the row gram response to how the regime responded to demonstrations of the use of force will stop the huge word trust betweenng

all ukrainians and their institution lies within the authorities. measures of the administration to return to keo. on the issue of language, to reason, tock to launch a constructive dialogue and ensure the population involving their place in the ukraine. this was a symbolic decision designed to make ukraine's labor for the country which makes up those it's wealth and uniqueness. , the first stage is conduct oninly the to ensuret --

elections are held in the best possible way, we must move toward free and fair elections and it would be unacceptable for thiss to threaten autocratic exercise. the result of this election, the harbinger of so much hope, be theuted because of fabrication of this event. i'm out turned to my second point -- the impact of the picture of russia's actions describes what the chain of events was which led to the annexation of crimea. it underscores that there was no -- quite the opposite, the report underscores the ukrainian and tartar population,

the united nations should continue to follow the situation of human rights in crimea which is an integral part of ukraine by an overwhelming majority. the report underscores the deteriorating situation with .uman rights soldiers without insignia, the seizure of public buildings, the theence of foreigners and broadcast of violence on tv channels, all orchestrated. they serve as a prelude for unprecedented event in the 21st century. it would simply be unacceptable. all my colleagues hasn't in the room here is an article which

describes how russia created its own virtual reality with no actual ground. fleeing from ukrainian carrier -- refugees vanish from one day to the next. crimea, they sold russian license plates and the same disinformation continues. we are told peaceful demonstrations, and one sees that these are heavily armed militiamen. there is no russian intervention and you on the internet come easy soldiers without a significant carrier round weapons only held by the russian federation. we are told fascist terror

reigns in kiev and you all know if you go and is a kiev, calm reigns there. we are all told the jews are threatened in there. they do not feel threatened in ukraine. never was a statement so far from reality. through internet can see this quite early. madam president, ukraine is cornered. it has been put on notice right here on sunday not to react. wouldnnot conceive it which was aggression condemned by the general assembly. and again, that this would happen in the east of the country, we complement the restraint shown seeking to -- madamo the

president, we urge russia to commit to de-escalate the situation and condemn alongside the rest of this council the attempts at destabilization in eastern ukraine. urge russia to stop locking itself in a vicious viral which can only lead to tragedy. it must withdraw its troops from the border and stop its destabilizing act to these, and must stop yelling civil war. no one here is taken in. thet with the scenario of firefighter setting fires. it is not credible and the meeting will be held tomorrow to bring together russia, the united states, european union and ukraine. this meeting is crucial and we urge all parties to remain calm and exercise restraint. new sanctions would be inevitable.

this is not the path we would like to see. elections must be held on may 25 and we will not let russia prevent them or discredit them. think you. >> i think the representative of france for his statement. to thethe floor representative of the republic of korea. lex thank you, madam president. i thank the secretary general for his breathing. totake this opportunity reiterate our full support for the un's human rights monitoring mission in ukraine. we are confident such independent and credible international monitoring mechanisms can contribute to a de-escalation of tensions on the ground. the un's monitoring mission in" operation with the special monitoring mission will continue to play a constructive role in this process.

the recent report of the un's anitoring nation raised number of human rights concerns in ukraine. there have been credible allegations of harassment, targetingd torture journalists and activists. in crimea, the referendum was marred by a significant rise in propaganda and incitement to hate but -- to hate and violence. we are concerned with such distorted narratives are also being exploited in eastern ukraine to further exacerbate a tent and vulnerable situation. we are monitoring unfolding events in eastern ukraine and we are alarmed by the violent seizures by armed individuals. such instant way to a serious deterioration in the situation. use of forcey seeking a change in status. any further excitement aimed at

stabilizing ukraine must stop. with elections scheduled in may, we call upon the ukrainian government to lead the political process that reflects the regions diversity and insurers the protection of all ethnic and linguistic minorities. this is essential to a sustainable solution from this crisis. before concluding, we stress they solution to this crisis kennelly be found by exploring all diplomatic efforts, especially bilateral dialogue between russia and ukraine. thehis regard, we welcome upcoming meeting between you crane, russia, the united states and the eu. parties to seek a peaceful political solution.

ukraine's future must be steered by the aspirations of ukrainians without intervention or influence from outside forces. thank you. think you, the representative for the republic of korea. from theike to hear representative of argentina. >> thank you very much, madam president. let me begin by extending my the human rights report on the ukraine. but repeatan we say what has already been said question mark argentina the growing see situation of tension in the ukraine, its potential spillover effect throughout the region

with great concern. repeatse can we say but that we are particularly and deeply concerned that there have been violent clashes and this may bring us further away from possibly finding a solution to this crisis. destabilize the situation. for that reason, my country once again reaffirms the fact that we believe it is essential for us to hold to the purposes and principles of the u.n. charter, particularly nonintervention in the internal affairs of other states. , eitherrvention military, politically, or economically. we understand the action of any state or international organization must have due respect for the management by

the government of ukraine, external affairs and its future. was reportednt, as to this council, there have been human rights violations in ukraine prior to the protests last november. serious human rights violations were also committed during the protests and after the protests. authorities that have taken over power in kiev, the report notes there has been rightstion in human violations and abuses, yet there withserious concerns regard to the situation for minorities. in particular, concerns that by attackssed against minorities, and we need more information and need to

follow these events very closely. inabilityntext, the -- the availability of information will contribute not just accountability for human rights violations, but will also help to prevent any type of manipulation of that information because this will only worsen a climate of insecurity and violence. same time, we believe the exhaustive investigation into abuses that have taken place at the beginning of the protests regardless of the perpetrators and sentencing of these individuals for undoubtedly help createore calm and institutional normalization in ukraine.

undoubtedly, measures need to be taken to build up confidence among the various ethnic communities and minorities in the country. and ukrainians throughout andine must recognize understand there are legitimate concerns that will be addressed. we must not have any incitement .o hatred we are not saying anything new year as a delegation, madam president stop we are simply record rising the difficult situation in ukraine and it cannot be resolved through any unilateral actions. avoidist on the need to any action which would make this situation even more complex and make it impossible to find a peaceful political solution to this crisis. all the parties must work

together to calm the situation to show maximum restraint and work toward inclusive dialogue. -- madam president, what can we do? what can those of us do who hope that on the 17th of april, who hope that those who will be leading in geneva will have constructive dialogue. a peacefulind political solution to this crisis. what we can do as members of the international community is a great deal. on the 17th of april, this meeting will begin. it is greatly needed and we hope it will be in a different climate.

notwe, those of us who will either on the seven team at that , we must make sure that we do not detract from that meeting. human rights are not the property of anybody, but the rights of everyone. recall the united nations charter does not just chapters, but annan's shake a bold truth without positive attitude for this desire for this discussion can findou crane serenity and peace. that is what we hope for. thank you, madam. i think the representative of argentina for her statement.

the representative of jordan. >> thank you, madam president. at the outset, i would like to thank the assistant secretary-general for human rights for his briefing before the council. on the situation of human rights in ukraine. aswell as for the efforts well as the human rights monitoring mission in ukraine. jordan would like to emphasize its support for the work of the mission as well as the ,mportance of cooperating setting out the recommendations particularly in light of the delicate and sensitive experience of that

country. out the direct relationship between the widespread and considerable breaches of human rights ,ncluding the rights of freedom corruption under the previous government as well as the hasational insecurity which tattered ukraine since november of last year. particularlysters and the use of excessive force led to speedyave political changes in ukraine. they also led to the formation of a transitional government.

the situation in east ukraine as a result of the rebel movement taking place right now must be dealt with responsibly and reasonably by all parties. as we mentioned previously, the ukrainian government has the right and is duty bound to and thehe rebellion unity of its land. that makes it necessary to deploy all efforts to end peacefully as possible. international norms and human rights must be respected in these regions. to bring pressure to bear and relating tologue the future of ukraine.

welcomeame token, we the meeting in geneva tomorrow. we hope that meeting will lead to end the solutions crisis and persuade stakeholders and the work to restore stability to ukraine. situation in ukraine for all urgent measures parties. to limitary nationalist extremist diatribes. upon them to use their which constitutes what

currently.ing we also emphasized the need for continued ilog between the element of ukraine with communities, factions and to aical parties to agree methodology that covers the interest of all parties and charges the future of ukraine as a state of law. for thatessary dialogue to start forth with. necessary for getting an appropriate climate to bring about outputs that would lead to the success of the presidential elections in may emma 2014. linkedure of ukraine is

to the success of the political transition process. thepolitical process must based on human rights, the sovereignty of democracy and the rule of law. allit should represent , we wishand categories to not interfere in the internal affairs of ukraine and not to threaten the with force and enable the people of ukraine to .etermine the future the international community must help you crane in this stage of the goal transition to overcome the difficulties which it can in the way of its security and stability and preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

take you madam president. >> i think the representative of jordan for his statement and give the floor to the representative of rwanda. >> thank you for holding this briefing on the human rights situation in ukraine. i think the assistant secretary-general for his efforts in reporting and ensuring human rights in ukraine. the un's high commissioner for human rights issued yesterday indicates human rights violations born from the current crisis. impunityt indicates occluding torture, extortion and corruption. the situation has bloomed into a deadly crisis. before people lose their lives while 100 remain missing.

ukraineation in includes faultlines and preventive measures. the international community still has a chance to prevent further deterioration of the situation in ukraine. we once again welcome the establishment of the u.n. human rights monitoring mission in ukraine which we support and we believe you can build on the work of this mission to support ukraine in its efforts of building a state ukrainians deserve. president, it is incumbent for the ukrainian government and a priority to build confidence between the authorities and different communities with a u2 reassuring all people throughout ukraine that their concerns will be addressed, especially the russian speaking community. time to ensure rather

than adopt the legislation which would lead to isolation and more radicalism. the situation on the ground the getting a dires need for a viable political solution. with the illegal occupation of public goldings and structures by armed protesters, the need for security forces while restoring necessary public order. in the meantime, we are extremely concerned by the rhetoric and negative top again which have exacerbated the situation. we went again want to have all parties to escalate the crisis and engage in general and -- in

genuine ilog. in this regard, we look forward to talks between ukraine and the russian federation, the eu, and the u.s.. we hope the meeting will contribute to a sustainable local solution in ukraine and the region. lamy concluded by saying the people of ukraine will judge us by our lack of action. failing them is not an action and it's time to support a truly support for the region and greedy. >> i thank the representative of rwanda for his statement. of the representative luxembourg. >> madam president, i would like to thank the united nations asg for human rights for his briefing. the discussions in recent weeks in this council have shown not

all members have the same assessment of the situation in ukraine. we have often witnessed a information or waging. luxembourg welcomes the publication of the first human andts report on ukraine crimea by the united nations officer of the high commissioner for human rights. this report based on eyewitness anount have given us objective picture of the situation. i think him for the update on the situation which she has provided as a supplement to the report. the report and briefing paint a very are picture of the situation in crimea. the consequences for people living in crimea is damaging. this is particularly true for minorities ike the crimean -- like the crimean

tartars who have had to leave out of fear of violent crackdowns were ukrainians themselves who are the subject of flagrant discrimination if they refuse to take on russian citizenship. the report confirms the referendum organized on the 15th of march in crimea and i'll asian of the constant duchenne's of both ukraine and crimea were held in conditions that removed all legitimacy. crimea was cut off from the remainder of ukraine. journalists and members of civil society were intimidated. freedom of the media was seriously undermined. cases of torture and disappearance must be investigated. measures must be taken urgently to restore the rule of law and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. i agree with colleagues who understood the importance of giving access throughout the

territories of ukraine, including crimea, to the representatives. this is particularly true for the members of the united date -- united nations human rights monitoring station. have confirmation of what the council was told on the 19th of march. there has not been in ukraine any systematic or widespread attack against the ethnic russian community. and he unfounded rumors were threats continue to be used to syrup trouble in eastern and southeastern region will stop the russian media are being used to create a climate of fear and stir up local populations against the ukrainian government. luxembourg therefore endorses the appeal made yesterday by the osce representative on freedom measuresdia regarding

to spend propaganda and misinformation. it would be irresponsible to further fan the flames. luxembourg condemns actions which have been carried out since the sixth of april by armed groups of individuals in a number of cities in the east and southeast of ukraine. these actions are not at all spun haney is. there coordinated and well orchestrated all stop we are particularly concerned by the targeted deployment of pro-russian individuals in the local demonstrations mentioned in the high commissioner's report. we are not challenging the right to demonstrate freely, but this deployment of pro-russian elements has led to violent incidents and the seizure by force of government to links and

local public institutions. we call on russia publicly to separate itself from these actions of the militia separatist will stop we paid andute to the composure restraint shown by the ukrainian theseities in the face of destabilizing actions. we understand they cannot fail to react in this situation and we encourage the government to .roceed with restraint luxembourg continues to believe it is still possible to find a police -- to find a peaceful solution to the rosses. it requires direct dialogue between russia and ukraine. tomorrow withlace diplomatic representatives from russia, the item states and european union and it will lead

to dialogue and a way out of this most interest crisis. while we await a political impartial observers are key in order to establish encourage human as it monitoring mission has already been said in brussels today by the secretary-general, being a neutral observer and reporting on the facts for a de-escalation of this dangerous situation. thank you. >> i think the representative of luxembourg for her statement. i give the floor to the representative from chile. think youresident, i

for the briefing on the situation in ukraine. chile endorses the appeal made for accountability with all human rights violations committed during demonstrations in kiev between december 2013 and february 24 teen. immediate measures , taking to build trust into account in particular aspect minorities. toilarly, it is urgent guarantee respect for the rule of law, democracy, and human rights in ukraine emma including the rights of all minorities. we believe it is particularly disturbing to see the worsening of the human rights situation in the eastern region of ukraine,

in particular, violations of the rights to freedom of expression, the freedom to meet, there have been attacks against activist, journalists, and members of the political opposition all stop we urge the parties to find a peaceful solution to this crisis through direct political dialogue. andto act with moderation abstain from the unilateral measures which may increase tensions and to take part in international efforts in accordance with the general assembly resolution 262. the meeting to be held tomorrow in geneva in which ukraine, the russian federation and the european union and united states will take part to help us find a way out of the

crisis. we will -- we will conclude by expressing thanks to the offices carried out by the secretary-general and underscoring the work of the human rights monitoring mission in ukraine. and the efforts of the osce in in creatingtribute will leadment which to the elections on the 25th of may. thank you. >> i think the representative of chile for his sentiment. remarks in my national capacity. theso want to thank assistant secretary-general for his briefing on the human rights situation in ukraine. human rightn the situation in ukraine, not that weis comprehensive all stop

are encouraged by the relentless -- in the ukraine. this is exemplified i the establishment of the monitoring mission in ukraine, the office of the high commissioner for human rights to provide testimonial assistance for theslative reform and recent decision from the secretary-general, the senior advisor. indeed, a central role in the escalating tensions in ukraine. the u.n. provides an impartial platform as well as professional essential both ingredients in the efforts to ensure human rights are

respected and protected in ukraine. the human rights decision will outline technical, legal, or other assistant needs may contribute to addressing the root causes of the violence. the human rights issues linked to the current crisis in ukraine need to be comprehensively addressed within the framework of a peaceful and negotiated solution of the crisis. the authorities must continue to engage all groups in the country and assure them their concerns will be addressed. the ongoing rebellion in eastern adds insult to injury and exacerbates an already

tenuous political situation with implications for human rights, peace, and security. we all know that it is an established fact that violation of human rights often occur in situations of conflict. this underscores the need for ace the the diplomatic resolution of the crisis in ukraine. concerned parties to cease beating the drums of war. they must work toward the escalating tensions and embrace dialogue in the interests of the people in ukraine. all around this table, we have all expressed hopes that the meeting taking place tomorrow, the 17th of april will lead to a resolution of the crisis.

i hope that our hopes are not misplaced and i hope our hopes can be justified. i resume my function as and ient of the council now give the floor to the representative of ukraine. >> thank you, madam president. madam president, assistant you fory-general, thank convening this meeting of the security council to discuss the report of the human rights situation in ukraine. grateful to the assistant secretary for the presentation of this report today. is held while on everybody's mind is the following fact. it only because of the russian -- to seeggression

that thelding situation has emerged on the council agenda. the publication of the report which objectively enough reflects the situation in my .ountry unlike the previous administration, the new government in ukraine is willing and ready to embrace the recommendations aimed at promoting human rights and the rule of law and our country. at the same time, we have the other government mentioned in the report takes specific stop humanenact and rights violations. the allegations of russian minority rights in ukraine which serve as the reason for russia's military aggression against our country

and the annexation of crimea that was declared illegal by the general assembly. my russian colleague stated today that russian languages in danger in ukraine. give you some comparative figures on the situation around the protection of language rights of several million ukrainians, the russian federation, and russians in ukraine. dateda staunton a report march 8, 2009. fleas compare figures. , there are nools ukrainian secondary schools in the russian federation. for at least 2 million people. , there are 101,000 256 russian secondary schools. seven ukrainian papers are

published at the expense of local authorities and ukrainian organizations, financial support the federal level is not provided. published inrs are the russian language in ukraine. -- there's only one ukrainian broadcast program in russia. russian language tv and radio programs in ukraine take around 74% of the total broadcasting in ukraine. russia stated the anti-semitism in ukraine. russian studies concerned about the absence of these notions in

the report. me quote some excerpts will collectives from the letter of the association of 266 jewish organizations of ukraine. to russiannt president vladimir putin not long ago. this prohibition to speak in russian which was stressed in the russian media should remain on these authors conscience. president, your confidence expressed does not meet the real facts. perhaps you were confused implicating ukraine and set of russia. jewish organizations have documented the growth of

anti-semitism. we are frightened by the fact that fascists are rushing to power in ukraine and we should expect the jewish programs. we are aware the powers that achieve positive changes in the country are made up of different groups. the nationalists are among them, but even the most marginal of them do not allow themselves to express anti-semitism. the nationw is that is under control of civil society in the -- the new government of ukraine is encouraged by your secret service. today, our russian colleague

.ouched upon this piece i am authorized to say we condemn all forms of violence, especially when it concerns opposition leaders and candidates for president. by the police is they were authorized to kerry out an investigation and submitted to the court. the parliament considered these --es and i expect it will be is in theteresting current situation coupled with ,he actions against ukraine provocations from our opponents where from the right sect

, the sources being accused by russian extreme intolerance of russians. roughlyry was broadcasted on main news channels in ukraine. version and wel the channels and demonstrate only part of that interview. we call on the united nations numbers states detailed in the report before and to ring the

harassment, torture him a violation of freedom of expression, and the protection of your lists. particular attention is rightly given to the violation of the rights of the inhabitants of the peninsula. the most vulnerable are considered to be ukrainians who were intimidated and forced to .eave their homes situation as an act of genocide against an ethnic group. given the systematic violation of human rights on the crimean insula, the situation in the autonomous republic should remain under the office of the commission of human rights and the other monitory mechanisms.

we welcome the monitoring commission to establish its sub office. the territorial integrity of ukraine. the analysis of recent developments and factors in the eastern regions of ukraine, the documents on external interference in particular, the participation in clashes arrived from russia. at a meeting last sunday, we examples of such interference. you can find more information by visiting the site of the ukrainian secret service.

ukraine is surprised that the only criticism of this enforcement comes from the russian federation. you recall this country is one of the most frequent users of the counterterrorism towards a set -- counterterrorism tools against its citizens. in all counterterrorism operations, russia uses the same scheme. if the enemy does not surrender, it is stormed at any cost will stop -- at any cost. dozens of examples could be given. this enforcement operation in ukraine is undertaken to protect people, restore law, and ordered in some regions of ukraine. armed groups to meeting acts of criminal nature, including taking over buildings and military facilities and airports will stop those armed groups are strongly supported by russian ,pecial operation forces units

illegally infiltrated into the territory of ukraine. my russian colleague mentioned today that if you are in eastern there are enforcement officers killed in a well-prepared attack governed by the russian officer. you can find this detailed information on the site of the -- andan secret service, it is in this light we look forward to the next report which will be focused on eastern ukraine. -- madame president, it was stated clearly that a number of human rights violations another part of ukraine or the heritage of a previous government which became one of the main reasons that caused the ukrainian mass protest in

november 2013 through february 2014. for those reasons, challenging human rights in ukraine generally in its eastern and southern regions is well known. childy, high level of mortality, unemployment, dangerous working conditions, especially in the coal mining industry. as a result, human rights was not what was expected in our country. dramatically in favor of building and open, civil society. haveew coalition repeatedly stated their commitment to reforms aimed at growth. we are grateful that they have noted positive