10 October 2022
Mr President,
Malta fully supports the resumption of this Emergency Special Session following the use of the veto by the Russian Federation on 30 September.
Malta aligns herself to the statement delivered by the European Union and would like to add a few remarks in her national capacity.
At the outset Malta condemns today’s attacks by Russia against Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine. Such indiscriminate attacks on civilians are war crimes and the perpetrators must be held to account.
Mr President,
As a member of the core group of the veto initiative, we remain firm in our belief that the General Assembly has a duty to react to the violations of international law which are being propagated in Ukraine.
Malta strongly condemns and rejects attempts by Russia to illegally annex the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine through the holding of the sham referenda. These so-called results constitute a serious and dangerous escalation. They are a blatant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a show complete disregard to the fundamental principles of international law.
The UN Security Council is entrusted with the maintenance of international peace and security. This is a responsibility it cannot shirk. The use, or rather, the abuse of the veto by the aggressor in an attempt to consolidate such acts is reprehensible. It is something that the rest of the UN membership must strongly reject. As incoming members of the Security Council, we stand committed to safeguarding these principles.
Equally reprehensible is the rhetoric and threats concerning the use of nuclear weapons.
Together we need to reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the rules-based international order. We must act in a decisive and unequivocal manner to protect the UN Charter. This is our collective responsibility.
We urge all Member States to vote in favour of the resolution we have in front of us today. It is concise and to the point, and addresses recent developments in a factual manner.
The costs of the war in Ukraine have reached far beyond Europe and are being felt worldwide, most acutely when it comes to the unfolding food and energy crisis.
Mr President
Today, the General Assembly has the opportunity to send an important message to the world that the violation of international law and the sovereignty of states is not tolerated.
These are the principles the founding members of the United Nations had agreed to 77 years ago. They are the principles we have all signed up to. Today, it is our duty to reaffirm them and counter contempt for them.
I thank you