Statement by H.E. Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN, at the Security Council Briefing on the "Maintenance of International Peace and Security" (Ukraine)

Thank you, Mr. President,

We thank Acting USG Joyce Msuya and Dr. Volodymyr Zhovnir for their briefings.

We welcome the participation of the Representatives of Ukraine, Poland, and the European Union in today’s meeting. We also extend our condolences to the Government and people of Ukraine, including the families and loved ones of those who were killed and wish for the speedy and full recovery of those injured.

Mr. President
Guyana is extremely alarmed by the continued attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure since the start of this war. The attacks have claimed the lives of more than 11,000 civilians, including women and children, and continue to destroy objects indispensable to their survival.

We have repeatedly warned of the devastating consequences of prolonging this war, especially in light of the attacks against hospitals, electricity transmission systems, food ports, gas, and water supplies, and the high number of civilian casualties.

Mr. President,

Yesterday’s missile strikes were particularly shocking. It was reportedly the largest assault in months, killing over 30 people, including children, and causing extensive damage to the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. The airstrike against the hospital turned a large part of what was once a place of sanctuary and healing for so many children into rubble, destroying its toxicology and oncology wards and many other units. We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms, stressing that the most vulnerable of civilians – children – were among the hapless victims.

What military or other advantage is there to gain from the unconscionable attack against a children’s hospital?

Mr. President,

The devastating accounts of unrelenting violence, death, and destruction must compel us to take urgent action to end this war. Lives, including those of innocent children, cannot continue to be sacrificed at the altar of political brinkmanship.

We commend the efforts of those seeking to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict and urge the parties to commit to a serious political and diplomatic process toward ending the conflict. We also urge them to engage in good faith and to bring an end to the suffering of the millions of men, women, and children who have already paid too high a price in this war.

Guyana demands that the parties to the conflict take all necessary measures to protect civilians and critical infrastructure and to comply fully with their obligations under international law including the United Nations Charter and international humanitarian and human rights law. We stress the need for accountability for the ongoing violations as a critical element on the path to peace.

We further call on the Russian Federation to immediately withdraw its military forces from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine.

We echo the Acting USG’s grave concern, and indeed that of the wider international community, about the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in the country. It is difficult to comprehend the continued denial of access to people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. We call upon the Russian Federation to grant humanitarian access to all populations in need in the occupied territories.

We commend the ongoing response of humanitarian agencies and call on the international community to further support their efforts, including by contributing to the Humanitarian Needs and Response Fund.

In closing, Mr. President, I would like to stress the urgency of resolving this conflict through peaceful means. Guyana will continue to support all efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General and other partners who have been working diligently to achieve a peaceful and sustainable end to this war.

I Thank You.