New York, 8 March 2022
Madam/Mr President,
At the outset, let me express appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for convening this debate pertaining to Women Peace & Security matters today’s, on International Women’s Day.
Today more than ever women long for peace. We all do. But it is women and children who suffer most as the war continues to rage in Ukraine.
Indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure, residential areas, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, are mindboggling. Innocent civilians, many of whom are women and children, continue to die or flee their homes.
2 million Ukrainian refugees fled for life to Eastern European countries, and most of them are women and children.
Georgia aligns itself with the statement by the European Union, and in my national capacity, allow me to add the following:
We condemn Russia’s aggression. Violating agreements reached, impedes the opening of humanitarian corridors to allow safe evacuation of civilians, and delivery of much needed humanitarian aid, which reportedly has led to the death of civilians, including children.
This is an assault at the international Human Rights law and International Humanitarian Law, and violation of key principles of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris!
We call for accountability!
All international humanitarian and human rights mechanisms must be granted safe, immediate and unimpeded access wherever is needed on the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders!
Dear colleagues,
Unfortunately, Russian aggression and occupation is well known to Georgia.
In fact, what we see in Ukraine is a continuation of the same pattern we have witnessed in my own country years ago.
As of today, in breach of all the international commitments, including, inter alia, the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, the Russian Federation continues its illegal and provocative actions towards the occupied regions of Georgia, conducting the so-called borderization process, which, in effect, is nothing less than a continuous aggression, and a creeping annexation.
Humanitarian consequences of the aforementioned actions are appalling, given unbearable human rights situation and the conditions the civilian population, women and children have to endure.
Excellences,
Ensuring meaningful engagement of women in the peace process is a high priority for Georgia. In this regard, Georgia tries to maintain the issues of the conflict affected women, including the IDPs, on the agenda of the Geneva International Discussions, which is the only format of negotiations between Georgia and Russia on the security and humanitarian issues stemming from the Russian aggression and occupation of two Georgian regions.
Yet, despite the Georgian Government’s efforts to empower the conflict-affected women, the ongoing occupation of Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions by Russia makes them the most vulnerable segments of our society. Women living in Georgia’s occupied regions, as well as in areas adjacent to the occupation line, continue to suffer from systematic grave violations of their fundamental rights and freedoms, including but not limited to freedom of movement and illegal detentions by Russian occupying forces.
In conclusion,
let me once again call on the Russian Federation to immediately, and without any preconditions, cease its military actions in and against Ukraine and withdraw all its military; and immediately and unconditionally reverse the illegal decisions related to the status of integral parts of Ukraine in full respect of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognised borders and territorial waters.
We call upon Russia to do the same with regards to the occupied Georgian regions.
I thank you.