This concerns the population accounting of Crimea, which Moscow has regarded as residents of Russia since the beginning of the occupation of the peninsula.
"It should be noted that from the very beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea, the UN Secretariat did not consider the population of the peninsula as residents of Russia, as Moscow presented in its statistics. The Secretariat regarded the population count of Crimea as statistics pertaining to Ukraine, which fully aligns with the resolutions of the General Assembly and the UN Security Council, as well as international law," emphasized Kyslytsia.
According to him, the Russian Federation could do nothing about this, even though it was displeased. In retaliation against UN Secretariat staff directly, the Russian delegation introduced its own amendment to the document at the last moment before the final vote on December 24.
"The Russians attempted to emphasize that the UN Secretariat supposedly only adheres to resolutions concerning Ukraine, but does not comply with other resolutions, such as those regarding Mayotte, Israel and Palestine, or Kosovo, which date back to the 1980s and 1990s. Among other things, the Russian delegation proposed to hold UN program managers accountable for this," said the former permanent representative.
In response, the Ukrainian delegation stated that the initiative of the aggressor state was not aimed at better adherence by the UN Secretariat to the resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly and the Security Council. In reality, the Russian Federation seeks to unjustly accuse the UN Secretariat "of allegedly violating other resolutions and decisions." Kyslytsia added that Ukraine categorically rejected the unfounded accusations against UN personnel, supported their work, and emphasized that they should not be subjected to threats for fulfilling their duties.
"It is very important for Ukraine that, despite the pressure from the Russian Federation, the UN Secretariat continues to account for statistics on Crimea as part of our territory. Because UN member states then refer to this statistics when making further decisions," said the diplomat.
Ultimately, Russia's attempt to push this amendment failed, and the Russian delegation asked the head of the 5th Committee to put the draft resolution to a vote without their proposals. During the committee vote, the document was supported by 151 countries. Against it were Russia, Belarus, the Comoros, Nicaragua, and Sudan. During the General Assembly vote, 157 countries voted for the resolution without the Russian amendment, while the same countries that did not support the draft opposed it, reports "Ukrinform."