Statement by United Nations Watch, delivered by UN Watch’s Morris B. Abram Fellow Eden Kohane before the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, 22 September 2025. Agenda Item 4, Interactive dialogue with Commission of Inquiry Ukraine.

Full Speech:

United Nations Watch welcomes the Commission of Inquiry’s update and is gravely concerned about human rights in Ukraine.

Russia’s relentless bombardment across Ukraine deliberately targeting critical infrastructure and indiscriminately killing civilians has escalated in both scale and brutality.

Since this Council’s last session, Ukraine has endured its deadliest month since Russia’s invasion began with 286 civilian deaths recorded in July.

Only last Wednesday, Russia launched a drone attack in the Poltava region killing six civilians and striking a gas station. The very next day, a wave of strikes hit substations powering Ukraine’s national rail network, disrupting infrastructure essential for civilian life and the country’s defense.

Russia has waged this brutal offensive not alone but with the backing of UN member states.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has fueled Russia’s war in Ukraine by supplying Shahed drones and transferring technology that enables Moscow to manufacture them domestically.

North Korea is sustaining Russia’s offensive by deploying an estimated 14,000 troops to Ukraine.

Even children are not spared from Russia’s aggression. Since 2022 more than 6,000 Ukrainian children have been taken to Russia and occupied Crimea held in over 200 facilities where they are subjected to political indoctrination and in many cases military training.

This Council must speak out for these stolen children, protect Ukraine’s civilians, defend its sovereignty, and ensure accountability for Russia and its supporters.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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Statement by United Nations Watch and Ingénieurs du Monde, delivered by UN Watch’s Morris B. Abram Fellow Alex Blecker before the 59th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, 3 July 2025. Agenda Item 10, Oral Presentation of the High Commissioner on Ukraine.

Full Speech:

Mr. President,

1,226. That is how many days Ukraine has endured Russia’s brutal and unlawful invasion. 

Each passing day not only claims more innocent lives, but it deepens the failure of this Council to uphold its mandate.

The findings in this report by the Secretary-General are abhorrent and demand immediate action by member states.

Mr. President, the testimonies in this report reveal that both Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war are being raped and sexually assaulted at the hands of Russian forces.

The U.N. has documented Ukrainian civilians dying in Russian custody after being tortured, abused, and denied even the most basic principles under international law.

Ukrainian children have been stolen from their homes and transferred to Russia. Their whereabouts remain unknown, as Russian authorities obstruct the efforts of the Red Cross.

Meanwhile, inside Russia and across the territories it illegally occupies, fundamental freedoms of expression are under siege. Ukrainian identity is criminalized. 

Mr. President,

The international community can no longer remain idle. Russia’s aggression is not only a war on Ukraine — it is a war on human rights, on accountability, and on the very principles this Council was created to defend.

1,226 days. How many more before this Council takes decisive action?

Thank you.

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GENEVA, March 25, 2025 — In a joint statement, UN Watch intern Cole Hecker took the floor of the UN Human Rights Council to condemn North Korea for its atrocities against the Ukrainian people after joining Russia’s war of aggression.

During the address, the representative for North Korea interrupted the two-minute speech a staggering five times by invoking a procedural point of order, without any basis accusing UN Watch of speaking off-topic while failing to “observe the rules of procedure” of the Council.

After the North Korean delegate asked the Chair of the Council to “stop this intervention,” the representative from Belgium interrupted to lend support to UN Watch.

“I would request, Madam Vice President, you to allow NGO representative to finish what they have to say. Their participation in this Council is absolutely necessary,” the Belgian delegate said.

Not withstanding one more attempt by North Korea to shut down UN Watch’s address, the speech was then allowed to continue, concluding by calling for the launch of an inquiry into North Korea’s “war crimes in Ukraine.”

UN Human Rights Council Debate, March 25

UN Watch Joint Statement: Madam Vice President, we are alarmed by the grave human rights violations in North Korea, which not only target people domestically, but also now across borders— [Interrupted]

Vice-President: Point of order being requested. I give the floor then to DPRK.

North Korea: Thank you, Madam Vice-President, it is very regrettable to cast a second point of order in this session. I once again reiterate that the speaker is not adhering to the rules of procedure for use of names not recognized in the in the United Nations system.

I urge the chair to ensure that the speaker strictly observe the rules of procedure and manner by respect and dignifying the sovereign state. I thank you.

Vice-President: Thank you all the speakers of the need to adhere to official UN terminology when referring to countries. With this in mind, I give the floor back to Ingénieurs du Monde.

UN Watch Joint Statement: Thank you. DPRK has sent thousands of troops to serve as cannon fodder for the war of aggression against Ukraine. There are now North Korea made KN-23— [Interrupted]

Vice-President: I have to interrupt you, have another point of order, so I give the floor to DPRK.

North Korea: I apologize for the third point of order. Right now the speaker is talking about a topic that has nothing to do with this UPR, so we kindly ask the Chair to ensure that the speaker still observe the rules of procedure and manner by respecting and dignifying the sovereign state. I thank you.

Vice-President: Thank you. I want to say that we are currently discussing Agenda Item 6 of the Universal Periodic Review, and I would like to remind everyone that intervention should focus specifically on UPR outcome. I thank you once again, and let me give back the floor to Ingénieurs du Monde.

UN Watch Joint Statement: Thank you. DPRK’s actions violate international law and fuel war crimes and atrocities against the Ukrainian people. We recall that under UN Security Council sanctions in place since 2006, countries are banned from hosting North Korean trainers—[Interrupted]

Vice-President: Got to interrupt you again, because there’s another request for another point of order. Please go ahead DPRK.

North Korea: Madam Vice President, the speaker has not followed the request of the Chair and continues to refuse. That’s why I once again ask the chair to ensure the speaker steadily comply with the rules of the procedure or stop the intervention. I thank you.

Vice-President: Thank you, I would like to ask the speaker, once again, to contextualize on Agenda Item Six of the Universal Periodic Review. That is the normal procedure here when we are dealing with UPR.

I would like to also reiterate what I have already stated earlier, all speakers are abided to refer to official UN terminology when referring to countries as well. So let me give once again the floor to Ingénieurs du Monde.

UN Watch Joint Statement: Madam Vice President, I’m speaking on the DPRK’s transnational crimes. We recall that under UN Security Council sanctions in place since 2006 countries are banned from hosting North Korean trainers, advisers, or other officials for the purpose—[Interrupted]

Vice-President: I interrupt once more, I got a point of order from the DPRK.

North Korea: Madam Vice President, the speaker has not followed the request of the Chair and continues to refuse. Once again, I ask the Chair to ensure that speakers strictly comply with the rules of the procedure or stop this intervention. I thank you.

Vice-President: Thank you, I would like to say to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that I have clearly understood what he has stated earlier. So with that in mind, I will give back the floor for the last time to Ingénieurs du Monde to finish the statement under the understanding of what we have said earlier, related to language and related to focusing on what is at stake here at the UPR.

UN Watch Joint Statement: Madam Vice President, as several countries have recommended during the UPR, North Korea must immediately end its complicity in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. When North Korean troops fall on the battlefield in Ukraine, do they even know what they are dying for?— [Interrupted]

Vice-President: I’ll interrupt you again because we have a point of order, referring to the same theme as before. First I’ll give the floor to Belgium, who have also asked for a point of order, please go ahead.

Belgium: Madam Vice President, now since some recommendations were actually related to the points that the colleague from the NGO was raising, I would request, Madam Vice President, you to allow NGO representative to finish what they have to say.

Their participation in this Council is absolutely necessary, whether we like what they have to say or not. We have to listen to what they have to say. Their contribution is essential for an inclusive participation and for the work of this council. I thank you.

Vice-President: I give the floor to the DPRK.

North Korea: Thank you, Madam Vice President. The issue raised by the delegation is that it is not the issue of the UPR, it depends on the rules of procedure, that’s why I kindly ask the Chair for speakers to strictly observe the rules of procedure. I thank you.

Vice-President: Thank you. I would like to give back the floor to the speaker in order for him to conclude with the statement, you have the floor, Ingénieurs du Monde.

UN Watch Joint Statement: Esteemed delegates. This Council cannot remain silent as the DPRK’s brutality now extends beyond its borders.

We call on the Council to launch an inquiry into DPRK’s role in the commission of war crimes in Ukraine. This inquiry should also be mandated to report all member states that aid and abet this gross abuser of human rights. We thank you.

The post Outrageous: North Korea Interrupts Speaker Five Times During UN Watch Joint Statement appeared first on UN Watch.

UN Watch brought Ukrainian MP Lisa Yasko to the floor of the U.N. Human Rights Council to call out North Korean human rights violations being committed related to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.

Full Transcript:

My name is Lisa Yasko a member of the Parliament of Ukraine and I ask you to condemn as much as you can North Korean human rights violations that they are committing in cooperation with Russian aggression against Ukraine.

When, in 2024, they openly joined Russian forces to commit crimes against humanity on Ukrainian land and in the war against Ukraine we were sure that the world reactions would be very strong but in fact, it was not.

Because there is no proper reaction North Korea is continuing to help Russia immensely. Do you know that most of the ammunition that Russia is actually receiving it is receiving from North Korea? Do you know that the ballistic missiles no one is giving so many ballistic missiles to Russia as North Korea.

For North Koreans, this cooperation with Russia is actually very progressive and they really like the idea that they are gaining militaristic experience in committing more and more war crimes and they are gaining technologies that will allow them to have more wars to start more wars in the future.

Please raise your voice. Make a proper statement to condemn North Korea.

The post Ukrainian MP Lisa Yasko Condemns North Korean Participation in Russia’s War on Ukraine at the UNHRC appeared first on UN Watch.

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UN Watch brought French Philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy to the floor of the U.N. Human Rights Council to discuss Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

Full Remarks:

Mr. President, In a few days we will commemorate the third anniversary of this terrible war in Ukraine.

It is a war of invasion that violates the sovereignty of a state a blatant violation of one of your fundamental principles.

This war is based on the idea that Ukraine does not exist as a nation therefore, it is a war of annihilation with genocidal tendencies.

This is a war where innumerable crimes have been committed violating the Geneva Conventions which are also part of your legislative framework.

This is a war of imperialism colonialist a colonialist enterprise that goes against principles on which the United Nations was founded.

Furthermore, one can observe Kremlin ideologues with fascist accents that would make the founders of the United Nations turn in their graves.

For all these reasons I urge you to firmly condemn on the strongest terms the abomination of this war.

The post UN Watch invites French Philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy to address the U.N. HRC appeared first on UN Watch.

United Nations Watch testimony before the 52nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, delivered on 31 March 2023 by Jillian Rolnick:

Mr. President, one year ago, citing gross violations by Russia in its aggression against Ukraine, the General Assembly voted to remove that country from this Council.

Sadly, the abuses are ongoing. Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killings, amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Repeated attacks targeting Ukrainian infrastructure have left hundreds of thousands without heat and electricity during the coldest months.

And yet, brave Ukrainians, led by President Zelensky, are resisting the invasion. Volunteer civilians and veterans are fighting back, tracking the movements of Russian troops, sharing information, and blowing up supply bridges. They risk arrest, torture, and even death.

Courageous Russians are also resisting, such as dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza. On April 11, 2022, in Moscow, he went on CNN and dared to criticize the war on Ukraine. He called the Kremlin “a regime of murderers.” Hours later, he was taken away, arrested, and now faces false charges and a lifetime in prison.

Now almost one year behind bars, Vladimir Kara-Murza’s health has deteriorated so much that he was unable to attend court for his recent trial.

Earlier in this session, Russia announced that they will run for a seat to try to return to this Human Rights Council. If member states consider the suffering of millions in Ukraine, and of the Kremlin’s political prisoners, they will know how to vote.

I thank you.

The post UN Testimony: Russia’s Aggression in Ukraine appeared first on UN Watch.

.@svitlanaza: "Thousands of innocent people killed. Rockets hit our churches, theaters, schools, hospitals & kindergartens. 3 million people became refugees. A country that commits war crimes has no place among the members of the UN Human Rights Council." https://t.co/6LoDHXJWkb pic.twitter.com/M9U9lxsguD

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) March 22, 2022

In 1941, my grandmother was captured by Nazis in the Nikolaevsky region and transferred to Germany as a forced laborer. Today, her son — my father — in the night under air raid sirens before potential rocket attacks, left the city and became a refugee.

The bitter irony is that on February 24, Putin started a war in my country, in the center of Europe, explaining it with the goals of the mythical denazification of Ukraine. Denazification of a country whose leader is of Jewish origin. Unprovoked. Unjustifiable. Unforgivable.

The success of Putin’s denazification in Ukraine speaks for itself. Thousands of innocent people killed, including more than 100 children. Rockets hit our churches, theaters, schools, hospitals and kindergartens. Three million people became refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people remain hostages of Putin — in some cities without water, food, heat and electricity.

Russian airplanes deliberately dropped several powerful bombs on the theatre in Mariupol, which was a shelter for women and children.

I call on the United Nations Human Rights Council to activate all the available mechanisms to investigate crimes against Ukrainians in order to bring war criminals to justice.

A country that commits war crimes has no place among the members of the UN Human Rights Council.

History is not only what we read in books about World War Two. History is what we are doing today to protect democracy and human rights. I’m calling on you to stand up for Ukraine.

(Photo by Mark Mann)

The post “Country that commits war crimes has no place on UN Human Rights Council,” Ukraine’s Svitlana Zalishchuk tells UN appeared first on UN Watch.

UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer took the floor at the United Nations Human Rights Council to set forth a 5-point plan on how the UN could show it is serious on Ukraine:

Mr. President, we welcome this urgent meeting on Russia’s aggression against the people of Ukraine.

On the 24^th of February, the Ukrainian Ambassador requested this council to meet “as urgently as possible.” Now, in other, past situations, the council convened within a day. Why this time, on Russian aggression, did it wait a full week? For the men, women and children under attack, every day of delay by the international community is lethal.

This Council just heard from the Russian Foreign Minister. He said President Putin has “an unwavering respect for the Ukrainian people,” and that “we do not intend in any way to infringe on the interests of the citizens of Ukraine.”

Mr. President, the opposite is true.

The truth is that Russian forces invaded Ukraine, in flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.

The truth is that Russian forces are bombing cities indiscriminately, killing and wounding innocent civilians, a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law.

The truth is that Russia’s assault on Ukraine has turned more than half a million people to flee their homes for neighboring countries, killed an estimated 2,000 people, and injured many more. The truth is that Russia is committing war crimes.

And so question before us today is this: Will the international community defend the rules-based international order?

Dictators around the world are watching. If they see that Russia succeeds in its wanton aggression, they will draw the lesson—that anything goes. We will see more invasions, more tyrannies attacking their neighbors, and more terrorism.

The whole world is watching.

Are the United Nations and this Council prepared to defend international peace and basic human rights, and to oppose aggression on a scale unseen in Europe since World War II? Will they uphold their responsibility to defend the rules-based international order?

Let us consider. Two years ago, despite our urgent appeals not to do it, the United Nations elected Russia as a member of this Human Rights Council.

This violated the Council’s own rules. Members are obliged to uphold the highest standards of human rights. Mr. President, does this Council believe that Russia’s bombing of civilians in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other cities and towns across Ukraine upholds the highest standards of human rights?

Under the Council’s rules, members can be removed on account of gross and systematic violations of human rights.

Therefore, if this council is serious about human rights, here’s what it must do:

1: Remove Russia from the Council immediately.

2: Adopt a resolution on the situation of human rights within Russia itself.

3: Establish an independent monitor to protect courageous Russian dissidents, such as Alexei Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Muzra, both of whom were poisoned.

4: Abolish the mandate of this Council known as the Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures, the purpose of which is to define sanctions against Russia and other dictatorships as illegal.

5: Demand the High Commissioner and independent experts speak out against the crimes in Ukraine.

Mr. President, the people of Ukraine are under assault. The world is watching. The time to act is now. Thank you.

1/ When Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told lies at the United Nations about Putin’s war on Ukraine, I took the floor to call out Russia's disinformation—and to demand that it be expelled from the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Full video: https://t.co/LirAogb6SG pic.twitter.com/Sysp3LdcxD

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) March 8, 2022

1/ In tomorrow’s UNHRC urgent debate on Ukraine, I will take the floor on behalf of a group of human rights NGOs to respond to Lavrov:

“Mr. President, we welcome this urgent meeting on Russia’s aggression against the people of Ukraine.” https://t.co/wCf3XN4yeR

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) March 2, 2022

The post UN Debate: Hillel Neuer calls out Lavrov’s lies on Ukraine war appeared first on UN Watch.

Statement by UN Watch
Agenda Item 10, UNHRC 35th Session
21st June 2017
Delivered by David Mendoza-Wolfson

Thank you, Mr President.
“There are many sick people walking around with guns these days. No UN or OSCE can protect us. If they want to kill us, they will just come. Who can protect us from this?”
So said a resident of a village near the contact line, in Russian-occupied South-Eastern Ukraine, as reported in the High Commissioner’s report.
“Who can protect us from this?” This—being the indiscriminate shelling, torture and extrajudicial killings, that have led to 193 confirmed civilian casualties in the last three months. This—the 34,000 casualties since the beginning of this conflict.
While the High Commissioner’s report cites violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law, and while killings and torture are on the rise, United Nations Watch is concerned that this Council continues to treat such gross abuses under Agenda Item 10, as a mere matter of technical assistance.
We ask: Technical assistance to whom? To the Russian-appointed leader of the so-called Republic of Crimea, who is crushing the rights of Crimean Tartars, and who has stated that homosexuals in Crimea “have no chance”?
Does the High Commissioner agree that Russian-occupied Crimea and South-Eastern Ukraine ought really to be addressed under Agenda Item 4, together with serious matters such as the situation in Assad’s Syria, a regime being maintained by Russia’s support?
While the people of Ukraine ask “Who can protect us” from the gross violations being perpetrated by Russia, we ask the United Nations: Are you doing your utmost to protect innocent lives in South-Eastern Ukraine and Crimea?
Thank you, Mr President.

The post Russia's abuses in Ukraine – UN Watch testimony at UNHRC appeared first on UN Watch.

Thank you, Mr. President.

UN Watch appreciates the High Commissioner’s update on the situation in Ukraine.

We welcome the improvements outlined by the Special Rapporteur on Executions in his report, following his visit to Ukraine.

Nevertheless, we are concerned with the human rights situation in Occupied Crimea and the eastern parts of Ukraine, including the cities of Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk. These territories have experienced a significant deterioration with respect to human rights and security since Russia’s belligerent expansion westward.

We propose the following recommendations:

First, it is crucial that the illegal de facto Russian government of Crimea and the governments of the “People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk” grant access to local and international humanitarian organizations. The establishment of accurate information is essential in ensuring accountability for human rights violations.

Second, we call upon the Council to take steps to guarantee freedom of expression and of the press in the Occupied Territories. The assault on the media has become a systematic policy of the de facto governments. Ukrainian media operating in the Occupied Territories have been banned, while violence against journalists who oppose the occupation is common practice. These rights are not luxuries to be afforded citizens, but rights that must not be denied them.

Third, we call for an end to the continuing persecution of Crimean Tartars on the basis of ethnicity. The Russian authorities have instigated unprecedented discriminatory measures against the Tartars, not least the classification of their governing body, the Mejlis, as an extremist organization.

Mr. President, improvements in Ukraine must not cause us to forget the gravity of the situation nor the roots of the conflict, for which there must be accountability.

We ask the Office of the High Commissioner: What can the international community do to open up the areas in question to ensure adequate human rights monitoring?

Thank you, Mr. President.

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