The vote in the 193-member global body was 94-14 with 73 abstentions. It was close to the lowest level of support for any of the five Ukraine-related resolutions passed by the General Assembly since Russia’s February 24 invasion of its smaller neighbor. The resolution recognizes the need to create an “international mechanism to redress damage, loss or injury” resulting from Russia’s “illegal actions” against Ukraine. It recommends that member states of the assembly, in cooperation with Ukraine, establish “an international registry” to document claims and information about damage, loss or injury to Ukrainians and the government caused by Russia. Before the vote, Ukraine’s UN ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the assembly that “Russia has done its best to destroy Ukraine — in a very literal sense.” He cited Russia’s bombing and shelling of towns and villages, “targeting everything from factories and factories to residential buildings, schools, hospitals and kindergartens”, as well as roads, bridges, railways and almost half of the electricity grid and services utility of Ukraine only in the last month. It also cited reports of atrocities committed by Russians in territories it held, including murder, rape, torture, forced deportations and looting. “Ukraine will have the daunting task of rebuilding the country and recovering from this war,” Kyslytsya said. “But this recovery will never be complete without a sense of justice for the victims of the Russian war.” In creating a mechanism to document the allegations, he said, “Ukraine is committed to a transparent, impartial and objective process that will be managed and overseen by the international community in order to avoid even the slightest perception of bias.” “It’s time to hold Russia accountable,” Kyslytsya said, calling the resolution “a sign of hope for justice.” Russia’s UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzia urged assembly members to vote against the resolution, calling it “an attempt to legalize something that in terms of existing international law cannot be legalized.” It is “legally void,” he said. Nebenzia accused the West of “doing everything it can to provide a veneer of legitimacy” to begin spending frozen — or actually “stolen Russian assets amounting to billions of dollars.” And he accused the West of seeking a General Assembly resolution “as a front to hide this open robbery,” whose “beneficiaries will end up being Western military companies.” He warned that passing the resolution “can only increase tension and instability around the world” and said supporters of the resolution “will engage in the illegal expropriation of a third country’s sovereign assets.” Sixteen countries and the Palestinians echoed Russia, saying in a joint statement that the resolution lacked “sufficient legal basis”. The signatories, including China, Iran, Angola and Venezuela, said countries suffering from foreign interference, colonialism, slavery, oppression, unilateral sanctions “and other internationally wrongful acts also deserve the right to redress, rehabilitation and justice, which should be addressed through sound legal procedures.” The Palestinians sent a letter to all countries late Monday saying they did not participate in the declaration. Canada’s UN ambassador Robert Rae responded that the resolution made no mention of the forcible seizure of assets or the destruction of the powers of sovereign states, and said that Russia was only making the allegations because it did not want to accept the resolution’s call for an international registry of documentation. signs of damage, loss and injury. “The assembly is not being asked to act as judge or jury,” he said. And the Russian claims that “this is some systematic, Western conspiracy to steal the assets of sovereign states — It’s just a crazy mess. It’s nonsense and we have to have the courage to say it.” Russia’s veto power in the 15-member Security Council has prevented the most powerful UN body from taking any action since President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion. But there are no vetoes in the General Assembly, which previously passed four resolutions criticizing the Russian invasion. Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but reflect global opinion and have shown widespread opposition to Russia’s military action. The resolution passed on Monday was sponsored by Canada, Guatemala, the Netherlands and Ukraine and co-sponsored by dozens of others. It reaffirms the General Assembly’s commitment to Ukraine’s “sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity” and reiterates its demand that Russia “immediately cease the use of force against Ukraine” and withdraw all its forces from Ukrainian soil. It also expresses “serious concern at the loss of life, displacement of civilians, destruction of infrastructure and natural resources, loss of public and private property, and economic devastation caused by the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine.” The resolution recalls that Article 14 of the United Nations Charter empowers the General Assembly to “recommend measures for the peaceful adjustment of any situation … which it judges likely to be prejudicial to the general welfare of friendly relations between nations,” including violations of the Charter . Immediately after the Russian invasion, the General Assembly adopted its first resolution on March 2 demanding an immediate ceasefire from Russia, the withdrawal of all its troops and the protection of all civilians by a vote of 141-5 with 35 abstentions. On March 24, the assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and calling for an immediate ceasefire and protection for millions of civilians and critical homes, schools and hospitals for their survival. Monday’s vote was close to the lowest vote on a Ukraine resolution: The assembly voted 93-24 with 58 abstentions on April 7 to suspend Russia’s membership of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine involved in rights violations that the United States States and Ukraine have labeled war crimes. The assembly voted overwhelmingly by the largest margin — 143-5 with 35 abstentions — on Oct. 12 to condemn Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of four Ukrainian regions and demand its immediate reversal.
