Today, the European External affairs service in Brussels published a joint statement of 70 countries supporting Ukraine in the creation of an international court, the purpose of which is to hold Russia accountable for the genocide of the Ukrainian people. The statement includes a reminder that Russia's failure to comply with the March 16 ruling of the International Court of Justice is a deliberate violation of the international obligations of the aggressor country.
"We reiterate the importance of these proceedings and urge, again, Russia to immediately suspend its military operations in Ukraine, as ordered by the Court in its Order on Provisional Measures of 16 March 2022. As the Court has repeatedly stated, its orders on provisional measures are legally binding on the parties to the dispute. Therefore, failure to comply with the Court’s 16 March 2022 Order constitutes a further breach, by Russia, of its international obligations."
Genocide Convention, on the basis of which Russia will be held accountable, embodies the solemn pledge to prevent the crime of genocide and hold those responsible to account.
"As the International Court of Justice itself stated in its advisory opinion of 28 May 1951 on reservations to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the object of the Convention "on the one hand is to safeguard the very existence of certain human groups and on the other to confirm and endorse the most elementary principles of morality." It is in the interest of all States Parties to the Genocide Convention, and more broadly of the international community as a whole, that the Convention not be misused or abused. intend to intervene in these proceedings. with the International Court of Justice their interpretation of some of its essential provisions."
The countries that signed the statement emphasized that Russia would be held responsible for the violation of international law and the damage caused to Ukraine.
"In closing, we reiterate that Russia must be held accountable for its actions. In this regard, we consider that Russia's violations of international law engage its international responsibility, and that the losses and damage suffered by Ukraine as a result of Russia's violations of international law require full and urgent reparation by Russia, in accordance with the law of State responsibility. We once again call upon the international community to explore all options to support Ukraine in its proceedings before the ICJ."
Countries that signed the joint statement: Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA and European Union.
