STATEMENT BY
MR. ALAN E. GEORGE
MINISTER COUNCILOR AND POLITICAL COORDINATOR
Thank you, Chair.
- The convening of this Arria-formula meeting by the United Kingdom, and co-sponsored by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and the United States, provides an invaluable opportunity for the UN Security Council members and participating UN member States to reaffirm commitment to international law, in particular international humanitarian law and the protection of human dignity in conflict, especially the treatment of prisoners of war (POWs).
- Let me thank Mr. Pablo de Greiff, Member of the International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Senior Sergeant Valerii Horishnii of the National Guard of Ukraine, Mr. Maksym Butkevych and Mr. Nariman Dzhelya, for their presentations.
- Sierra Leone, owing to our experience, deeply understands the cruelty and inhumanity of war, and we therefore reinforced the centrality of adhering to international law, especially the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, which form the core framework for the protection of POWs.
- The treatment of POWs is clearly defined in Geneva Convention III of 1949, to which both Russia and Ukraine are parties. This treaty articulates fundamental rights for POWs, ensuring that they are always treated humanely, without exception. These rights include protection against torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, as well as access to adequate food, shelter, medical care, and the ability to communicate with their families.
- Civilian detainees are similarly protected from abuse and mistreatment under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and Additional Protocol I and international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
- Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, reports issued on the human rights situation by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, as well as by other international and regional bodies, have presented a grim picture of widespread torture and abuse of POWs and civilian detainees.
- POWs and civilian detainees have been subjected to sexual violence, beatings, stress positions, electric shocks, strangulation, prolonged solitary confinement, and deprivation of food, water and sleep, amongst others. Women detainees are equally subjected to torture and ill-treatment. These reported incidents of abuse are in clear violation of the safeguards and protections afforded under international humanitarian law. Sierra Leone condemns all violations of the applicable Geneva Convention and Additional Protocol in the treatment of POWs and civilian detainees in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Chair,
- In advancing the dialogue on this issue, we wish to emphasize the following three points: First, and on a positive note, Sierra Leone commends the recent prisoner exchange between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, which saw the release of hundreds of captives, including military personnel and civilians, in a significant step toward alleviating the humanitarian impact of the conflict. This exchange resulted in the freedom of 189 Ukrainians, including border and national guards, alongside two civilians, and 150 Russian soldiers. We extend thanks and appreciation to the UAE for its diplomatic efforts in brokering this agreement, reflecting the importance of international collaboration in addressing such critical issues.
- Second, and in noting the independent and credible reports evidencing the objectionable treatment of captured fighters in the Ukraine conflict, including by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine in four comprehensive annual reports since 2022, as well as the reports issued by the OHCHR on the human rights situation in the Ukraine conflict, appropriate responses and action are warranted from the international community.
- Third, Sierra Leone calls for the perpetrators of abuse of POWs and civilian detainees in the conflict to be held fully accountable for their gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law. We support the recommendations in the OHCHR report for the prompt, impartial and effective investigations into all alleged violations of IHL and IHRL, including military actions causing excessive civilian harm.
- In conflict situations with combatants viewing each other as enemies rather than fellow human beings, it is particularly important that the rules of war established by international humanitarian law, and to which the Security Council has affirmed and all countries have agreed, are upheld. As we call for the parties to the conflict to make all possible efforts to minimize civilian harm, it is equally important that the people who violate the agreed rules of war and inflict harm on those who have been categorized as POWs and other detainees, are held accountable to avoid impunity.
- Accountability also means support for POWs and civilian detainees who are victims of abuse and torture, including ensuring their claims are fully investigated, they receive medical and pyscho-social support, as well as relevant legal support in responding to the deplorable act of their perpetrators. We especially call for the protection of female POWs and detainees who are being reportedly subjected to sexual violence,
- In conclusion, Chair, Sierra Leone calls on all parties to seek and pursue political dialogue, as military means alone will not achieve the political objective of the conflict in Ukraine. The conflict has been going on for 3 years and there is seemingly no end in sight. As we urge for dialogue, we further remind the conflicting parties of their obligations to comply with applicable international law, including international humanitarian law.
I thank you.
