YouSaid · the spoken record

Halit Çevik,

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16

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2021-02-11

most recent

2021-02-11

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1

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un-security-council

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1. “Should that trend continue, the Mission will be increasingly constrained in its ability to monitor the situation on the ground and to report objective and corroborated information, which otherwise could support renewed efforts at the negotiating table to maintain the ceasefire. In that regard, I would like to express our appreciation to the Council for its active interest and support, which contributes to the Mission’s continued efforts to reduce tensions and foster peace, stability and security. I take this opportunity to also express my thanks for the close cooperation that the SMM enjoys with the United Nations in Ukraine, both in Kyiv and in the field, and I thank the Special Representative, Ambassador Grau, for her leadership and her tireless efforts to facilitate a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in and around Ukraine.”

   2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

2. “At a time when heightened tensions on the ground are threatening the progress already achieved, it is imperative for the signatories of the Minsk agreements to adhere to their commitments and uphold the additional measures they agreed to last July. Political progress and reduced violence reinforce each other. The window of opportunity for further political progress that opened last summer must remain open for the ceasefire to be sustained, and vice versa. In parallel, systematic violations of the SMM’s freedom of movement should come to an end. The Mission faces a narrow corridor in which to carry out its mandate due to those constant impediments.”

   2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

3. “Impediments are unacceptable in any circumstance. Yet in the current epidemiological context, in which the SMM relies on technical assets to offset temporary reductions in the availability of ground patrols, they have an especially pernicious effect on the Mission’s continued operations. The year 2020 was rife with unforeseen challenges, yet productive dialogue at the negotiating table has led to a period of stability and relative calm along the contact line. That is once again a demonstration of the fact that if there is political will and it is reflected on the ground, the situation on the ground can improve, particularly for civilians affected by conflict.”

   2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

4. “Yet despite the commitments undertaken by the sides to ensure the SMM’s unrestricted freedom of movement, the Mission remains hampered by persistent obstructions, particularly in areas outside Government control. The disparity is remarkable. More than 95 per cent of all freedom-of-movement restrictions experienced by the SMM in 2020 took place in non-Government- controlled areas. A substantial part — 46 per cent — of those violations took place in the southern part of Donetsk region and in areas close to the uncontrolled border with the Russian Federation. Attempts to restrict SMM use of technical monitoring assets have also continued throughout the past year, on both sides of the contact line. In 2020, SMM unmanned aerial vehicles were targeted by gunfire on 70 occasions and were subjected to GPS signal interference 700 times.”

   2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

5. “Although the SMM regularly reports on those ceasefire violations, we have not seen a cessation of such occurrences. Despite the operational challenges posed by the pandemic, the SMM continues to maintain a robust presence throughout Ukraine and to provide objective and impartial information about the situation on the ground through its monitoring and reporting. In accordance with its mandate, the SMM also continues to monitor and report on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms on a daily basis. Freedom of movement, which is enshrined in the Mission’s mandate and the Minsk agreements, is essential for the SMM to serve as the eyes and ears of the international community in Ukraine.”

   2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

6. “Last year, such activities facilitated repairs to nearly 120 gas, water and electricity infrastructure objects, benefiting 6 million civilians. Unfortunately, the Mission continues to observe ceasefire violations in close proximity to several critical infrastructure sites. Of particular concern is the situation near the Donetsk filtration station, which supplies water to nearly 400,000 people on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continues to record ceasefire violations within a 5-kilometre radius of the filtration station on a near-daily basis. Even more concerning is the fact that the SMM regularly observes shooting during scheduled shift changes of workers that are known to the sides, despite the specific security guarantees issued by the sides to enable the functioning and maintenance of the facility.”

   2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

7. “During that period, there were 903,000 crossings. The corresponding number for the previous comparable period was 11.99 million. It is against that background that it is even more lamentable that the sides have not been able to agree on the opening of two new crossing points in the Luhansk region. Existing and new crossing points need to open as soon as possible. During these challenging times, it is also all the more important that the critical infrastructure that civilians rely on to meet their basic needs remain operational, unaffected and protected from violence. The SMM continues to facilitate dialogue between the sides and to monitor localized ceasefires to allow for the repair and maintenance of critical infrastructure.”

   2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

8. “Despite the agreement in principle reached in the Trilateral Contact Group last summer to open new crossings at Zolote and Shchastia, civilians cannot use those locations. The SMM has observed that the Zolote and Shchastia entry-exit checkpoints have been operational since 10 November in Government-controlled areas, but corresponding checkpoints in non-Government-controlled areas are not. The ability of civilians to use those crossing points would alleviate considerable hardship, facilitate humanitarian crossings and enable people-to-people contacts, including dialogue initiatives. Between March and December 2020, the number of crossings recorded by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine dropped by more than 92 per cent compared with last year, a development that threatens to separate people in the long term.”

   2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

9. “Bearing in mind the suffering that mines and UXOs inflict on civilians even when the shelling stops, it is crucial that the sides implement their commitments to conduct mine action, including humanitarian demining. The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic last year has made life even more difficult for civilians living on both sides of the contact line. Since March 2020, civilians have been able to cross the contact line between Government- and non-Government-controlled areas of Ukraine at only two of the five official crossing points. Only one of those is accessible on a daily basis, and there was a lockdown for approximately three months during the first phase of the coronavirus disease pandemic.”

   2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

10. “While 64 civilian casualties were caused by small-arms fire or shelling with heavy weapons last year, I note that all but three took place before the introduction of the additional measures in late July. That is a powerful demonstration of how sustained ceasefires can save civilian lives and improve security conditions in communities that have already endured years of conflict — seven years in this case. And yet, mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other explosive devices continued to take a heavy toll on the lives of civilians. Such objects caused 16 deaths and 51 injuries in 2020, with men and boys most affected. It is a testament to the continuous threat faced by civilians that those objects caused 92 per cent of civilian casualties occurring after the July measures took effect.”

    2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

11. “Despite unanimous calls within the working group to take action against impunity, the sides have yet to show their commitment to that principle by taking action on facts of violations confirmed by SMM reports. Such actions would be an important first step toward accountability as part of the implementation of the July additional measures. Moreover, they would help reverse the erosion of political will that has led to an impasse in the working group and could prevent any further deterioration of the situation along the contact line. According to information corroborated by the SMM, 24 civilians were killed and 107 injured in connection with the conflict in 2020. Eight were killed and 32 injured after the additional measures had taken effect.”

    2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

12. “Agreement on the additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire and the decrease in armed violence that followed their adoption in July also provided an opportunity for constructive dialogue. However, an important constraint has emerged, since the sides were not able to agree on a joint coordination mechanism to follow up and investigate alleged breaches of the additional measures, with a view both to de-escalation and addressing impunity. That mechanism could serve as an important confidence-building measure, which is so far lacking on the ground. I regret to say that discussions in the working group on that issue have reached an impasse, as negotiating positions have hardened over time.”

    2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

13. “The SMM also continues to observe the presence of heavy weapons and military and military-type positions in residential areas, putting civilians in harm’s way. In summer 2020, the working group on security issues saw a period of progress that led to broad agreement on a range of important security-related conclusions from the Normandy Four summit, held in December 2019 in Paris. In particular, an agreement in principle was reached on demining areas and an updated mine action plan; four new disengagement areas were identified; and certain progress was made on a draft addendum that would clarify several aspects of the framework decision on disengagement.”

    2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

14. “However, as with previous recommitments and although it was within a commitment, adherence has frayed over time. On average, only 19 ceasefire violations were recorded daily from August to October last year, but since November that number has been gradually increasing. The average daily number of ceasefire violations recorded by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in 2021 currently stands at around 87, which is still below the daily average of 594 ceasefire violations in the months before the July agreement; but as compared to the summer months the average increased significantly. Meanwhile, other violations continue, despite commitments from the sides. Newly built trench extensions and improvements to military structures have been observed on both sides of the contact line, in contravention of the 22 July agreement.”

    2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

15. “I further note with regret that the freedom of movement of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, enshrined in the mandate given to us by the 57 participating States of the OSCE, continues to be impeded. While the overall security situation along the contact line remains volatile, the agreement of 22 July 2020 on additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire within the Trilateral Contact Group was followed by a substantial decrease in the level of armed violence. After the introduction of these measures in late July, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission has observed the longest-lasting reduction in violence since it began systematically recording ceasefire violations. This positive outcome was a demonstration of political will on the ground.”

    2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source

16. “I thank you, Madam President, for this opportunity to brief the Security Council. From my vantage point as the Chief Monitor of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine and as Coordinator of the Working Group on Security Issues in the Trilateral Contact Group, I will provide an update on the security situation in eastern Ukraine, recent developments concerning the implementation of the Minsk agreements, and the impact of the conflict on civilians. I believe we are seeing a window of opportunity for the sides to find a way towards lasting de-escalation, but we also see that it is narrowing.”

    2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source