STATEMENT BY
H.E. MS. MICHAELA BARBARA EDDINIA SWALLOW
AMBASSADOR & DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
Thank you. Mr. Chair.
I note the information provided by the briefers.
Three years have now passed since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, three years marked by immense human suffering, destruction, and displacement. The facts and true account of this tragedy are that since February 2022, more than 12,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 30,000 injured in Ukraine, with additional casualties reported in Russia. One-third of Ukraine’s population has been displaced, including over 6 million refugees and millions more internally displaced persons. Those who remain face daily deprivation of food, clean water, electricity, heating during winter, and access to medical and sanitation services. The World Bank estimates the cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine at over $524 billion (€506 billion) over the next decade.
Sierra Leone acknowledges the trauma experienced on all sides of this conflict. We welcome recent diplomatic engagements as a positive step toward achieving a full ceasefire and a sustainable peace. We acknowledge the role of the United States in facilitating dialogue and urge all intermediaries and stakeholders to engage constructively with both Ukraine and Russia, promoting confidence-building measures and credible security guarantees. Intermediaries must remain objective and act in the best interest of a just peace.
We underscore the importance of accountability and justice as pillars for sustainable peace. Since 2022, multiple credible entities, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine have documented grave violations of international law, including deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, extra-judicial killings, torture, sexual violence, and the unlawful transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children into Russia.
Reports also include abuses against prisoners of war and detainees on both sides. For example, the OHCHR report of June 2022 outlines several atrocities committed in the town of Bucha, including the targeting of residential areas and summary executions. We urge for credible investigations into all allegations of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, as part of efforts to secure justice for victims and hold perpetrators accountable.
Sierra Leone reiterates its call on all parties to uphold international legal protections, particularly for civilians and prisoners of war. The people of Ukraine and in parts of the Russia Federation have endured unimaginable hardship. A peaceful and just resolution must be pursued through diplomatic means and in full respect of the Charter of the United Nations, especially the principles of sovereignty, independence, and the territorial integrity of States, including Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
In closing, Mr. Chair, we wish to underscore the threat posed by the misuse and abuse of information, as well as the deliberate spread of disinformation during armed conflict. Such campaigns, regardless of their source, erode trust, inflame tensions, and sabotage efforts toward dialogue and peace. Sierra Leone emphasizes the imperative to combat the spread of disinformation and to uphold the integrity of public discourse, especially in matters relating to international peace and security. The manipulation of narratives must end in order to create an enabling environment for honest engagement, mutual understanding, and sustainable peace.
I thank you.
