Tuesday, November 15 2022 12:22

ArmInfo.Armenia abstained from voting on the U.N.  resolution that calls for Russia to pay war reparations to Ukraine.

The UN General Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution that calls for  Russia to pay war reparations to Ukraine, as ambassadors met to  resume their emergency special session devoted to the conflict, the  U.N. official website reports. 

Nearly 50 nations co-sponsored the resolution on establishing an  international mechanism for compensation for damage, loss and injury,  as well as a register to document evidence and claims. 

The General Assembly is the UN's most representative body, comprising  all 193 Member States. 

Ninety-four countries voted in favour of the resolution, and 14  against, while 73 abstained. 

The vote took place in the morning, and countries returned in the  afternoon to explain their decisions. 

Ukraine: Hold Russia accountable 

In presenting the resolution, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya  used the biblical adage that "there is nothing new under the sun" as  a motif throughout his remarks. 

He insisted that Russia must be held accountable for its violations  of international law. 

"Seventy-seven years ago, the Soviet Union demanded and received  reparations, calling it a moral right of a country that has suffered  war and occupation," he said.  

"Today, Russia, who claims to be the successor of the 20th century's  tyranny, is doing everything it can to avoid paying the price for its  own war and occupation, trying to escape accountability for the  crimes it is committing." 

Carnage and compensation 

Mr. Kyslytsya pointed out that Russia also supported the creation of  the UN Compensation Commission (UNCC), established in 1991 following  Iraq's invasion and occupation of Kuwait. 

The Commission completed its mandate in February, he reported, having  paid out over $52 billion in reparations to victims.

The Ambassador outlined the impact of the Russian war on his country,  including bombings targeting residential buildings and  infrastructure, the demolition of nearly half of the power grid and  utilities, massive displacement, and atrocities such as murder, rape,  torture and forced deportations.

"This proposal is not about Russia alone. It will work for the  benefit of all those who are being threatened now or might be  threatened later by use of force," he said.

Russia criticizes draft 

Speaking before the vote, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya  characterized the draft resolution as "a classic example" of a narrow  group of States acting not on the basis of international law, but  rather trying to consecrate something that is illegal.

He said countries backing the resolution were attempting to position  the General Assembly as a judicial body, which it is not.

"These countries boast about how committed they are to the rule of  law, but at the same time, they are flouting its very semblance," he  added, speaking in Russian.

No role for the UN 

Mr. Nebenzya said the proposed reparations mechanism will be created  by a group of countries that will decide how it functions.

"The UN will play no role in this process because the proposed  mechanism is suggested to be created outside of the UN, and no one  has any plans to account to the General Assembly for its activity,"  he continued.

Furthermore, he had "no doubt" that the funding will come from frozen  Russian assets, which total billions.

Western countries have long wanted to unfreeze these assets, he said,  not to return them to their owner, or to spend them on helping  Ukraine, "but rather so as to fund their own constantly growing  weapons supplies to Kyiv, and covering the debts for the weapons  already supplied." 

About the emergency special session 

The General Assembly emergency special session began on 28 February,  or just days after the start of the war in Ukraine. 

This marks only the 11th time such a meeting has been held since  1950, in line with a resolution widely known as 'Uniting for Peace'.  

Resolution 377A(V) gives the General Assembly power to take up  matters of international peace and security when the Security Council  is unable to act due to unanimity among its five permanent members -  China, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia - who  have the power of veto. 

The current special session was convened after the Council voted in  favour of the General Assembly meeting following Russia's veto of a  resolution that would have deplored the assault on Ukraine.