Seventeen out of 26 voting committee members rejected Moscow's initiative
The UN General Assembly General Committee rejected a Russian proposal to remove the item on the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine from the agenda of its 81st session. During the bureau vote, only the aggressor state supported its own initiative. This was reported by Ukrinform citing Andriy Melnyk, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
During the first meeting of the General Committee within the framework of the new 81st session, 17 out of 26 members present voted against the Russian proposal. The only vote in favor came from the Moscow representative, while eight other delegates chose to abstain.
The Ukrainian side emphasized the unacceptable nature of Russia’s attempts to impose its stance on the international body’s working organs amid heightened diplomatic pressure from the aggressor state.
Legal Grounds to Maintain the Agenda Item
«In my speech, I rejected all the absurd arguments voiced by the Russians, drawing the General Committee’s attention to Russia’s blatant disregard for the decisions of the UN General Assembly itself», said Melnyk.
The diplomat recalled the resolution adopted on December 15, 2022, which mandates keeping the issue on the agenda until Ukraine’s territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders is fully restored. He also pointed out that the Russian side suffered a clear defeat due to the overwhelming position taken by the majority of participants.
The Russian delegation tried to argue that retaining the topic allegedly obstructed peace efforts. The Ukrainian mission firmly dismissed this assertion in an official letter sent to heads of foreign delegations.
Attempt to Force a General Assembly Floor Vote
Despite the setback in the bureau, the Russian delegation intends to raise the issue again during the first plenary meeting of the General Assembly on Friday. Ukrainian diplomats expressed full readiness to defeat the initiative on the assembly floor.
The UN General Assembly General Committee consists of 28 members: the President of the General Assembly, 21 Vice-Presidents, and the Chairs of the six Main Committees. The body coordinates assembly business and finalizes the provisional agenda for sessions.
The item on the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine has been regularly included in the General Assembly agenda since 2019. It covers political, security, humanitarian, and human rights aspects of the ongoing Russian occupation.
Photo: Андрій Мельник
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