Comment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Report of the Human Rights Watch

Main image: A woman puts a logo of US-based rights group Human Rights Watch on the door on 21 January 2014 in Berlin [JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images]

Ukraine took note of the Report of the International Non-Governmental Organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), which will be duly studied by the competent authorities of Ukraine.

Ukraine, exercising its right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, fully implements its international obligations while Russian occupants commit the war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide of the Ukrainian people.

Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) and Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW) are important international instruments to ban such inhumane weapons as anti-personnel land mines.

The events of the last year proved that it is important now more than ever to universalize these multilateral mechanisms in the field of disarmament and arms control. We do expect that HRW, together with its international partners from non-governmental organizations and the entire world community, will intensify efforts in this direction, in particular, increase pressure on the russian federation to immediately cease the criminal war against Ukraine with its use of the entire range of inhumane weapons and to return to compliance with the international law.

We remind that according to the Ottawa Convention Ukraine has already destroyed 3 million antipersonnel mines, including stockpiles of extremely hazardous mines POM-3. Attacking Ukraine Russia has used and continue to use all spectrum of prohibited mines, including those highly dangerous for civilians POM-3 “Medallion”. 

Ukrainian side has always demonstrated its readiness for cooperation with the international non-governmental organizations, including the number of meetings with HRW representatives held last year. 

We expect that HRW will actively assist Ukraine in order to consolidate international efforts on providing mine action relief to our state.