On Friday 12 March, a high-level virtual meeting is held at the UN Security Council, initiated by Estonia and co-sponsored by 20 countries, to mark seven years since the annexation of Crimea and draw attention to the deteriorating situation there.
The keynote speaker is Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights (OHCHR) in New York Ilze Brands Kehris. Other speakers include President of the Potomac Foundation and independent observer Dr Phillip Karber and Maria Tomak, Coordinator of the Ukrainian NPO Media Initiative on Human Rights that specialises in human rights violations in Crimea. A journalist from Ukraine will provide a view from the ground.
“With this meeting, we aim to draw the attention of UN member states and the international community to seven years of grave violations of international law by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, the massive military build-up on the Crimean peninsula, and the persecution of Crimean Tatar people and Ukrainian activists,” Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets said.
The event was initiated by Estonia and has a record number of co-sponsors – 20 countries, including several members of the UN Security Council and other UN members from Europe and beyond. “The remarkable number of co-sponsors from Europe and beyond demonstrates that we have been successful in highlighting issues that are important to us at the Security Council, and we have found understanding and allies among members of the entire international community,” the minister said.
Regular meetings marking the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea have been organised at the UN Security Council since 2016. Estonia organised a similar informal session at the UN Security Council last March and continues the tradition this year.
The event can be watched on Friday at 16.00 on the Foreign Ministry’s YouTube and Facebook channels and via UN TV.
Technical support for the event is provided by the Estonian company Global Virtual Solutions.
