76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
UN Security Council Arria-formula meeting on Conflict and Hunger
Delivered by Ambassador Sven Jürgenson
April 21, New York
Thank you, Madame President.
First, I would like to thank Ireland for organizing this meeting and the distinguished briefers for their statements.
Dear Colleagues, In 2018 the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2417, which condemned the starving of civilians and unlawfully denying humanitarian access as a method of warfare. The resolution was conceived as an instrument to break the vicious cycle between armed conflicts and food insecurity. However, it is the responsibility of every single country in the world to put this tool into full use to break the cycle of hunger.
Most of the food insecure people live in countries affected by armed conflicts. The intersecting drivers of food insecurity are complex: ranging from the conduct of hostilities and lack of humanitarian access to the broader drivers of risk, such as climate change and the pandemic.
Dear colleagues,
It is almost two months since the Russian Federation started the unjust and unprovoked war on Ukraine, causing terrifying levels of death, destruction and suffering. More than 5 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homeland; over 7 million are internally displaced.
Ukraine’s neighbours and the UN have been actively engaged in delivering humanitarian support to the people in Ukraine. During the last two months, every third person in Estonia has made a charitable donation for Ukraine and we have delivered food aid to different regions of the country. However, again and again we learn that humanitarian convoys cannot reach their destinations because Russia is not able or willing to provide necessary security guarantees. Humanitarian situation in besieged city of Mariupol is especially alarming.
Intentional starvation of civilians is a war crime. Resolution 2417 allows us to impose restrictive measures in case of unlawful denial of humanitarian access. The Council should not shy away from openly discussing these provisions, even when the perpetrator is one of the permanent members.
Dear colleagues,
As the people of Ukraine deserve our full attention and support, we must consider also the global impact of the war. We welcome the work and preliminary recommendations of the Global Crisis Response Group in this regard.
Ukraine and the Russian Federation are among the world’s breadbaskets. Ukraine is the world’s fifth-largest exporter of wheat. However, the shelling and bombing makes it impossible for Ukrainian farmers to sow. On top of this, the Russian Federation is blocking hundreds of ships filled with wheat in the Black Sea. Any negative impact on agricultural commodity production in Ukraine will also impact global food security and prices on the world market. It is the result of the destabilising effects of the Russian aggression and not sanctions or anything else as the Russian propaganda claims.
As prices climb, so does hunger and malnutrition — especially for young children. It is crucial to put an end to the invasion, the loss of innocent lives and the damaging consequences first in Ukraine, but also for food security in the whole world.
I thank you, Madam President.