Santo Domingo – The Dominican Republic made a call this Wednesday before the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization that none of the parties involved in the conflict in Eastern Europe cross the line of contact and that all interference in the internal affairs of other States cease, especially those that exacerbate passions or instigate violence.
During his speech before the main UN body convened to discuss the situation between Russia and Ukraine, the Dominican ambassador José Blanco added that the Dominican Republic does not accept that international law is being broken, nor that the international order based on freely accepted rules is break.
“In a scenario of violence and acts of force, there would be no winner. We would all lose, no matter if we are large or small states,” added the diplomat.
He said that a major conflagration must be avoided, so it is time to prioritize, urgently, dialogue and diplomatic negotiation.
The permanent representative of the Dominican Republic to the UN added that, given the unilateral recognition as independent republics of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, an integral part of the territory of Ukraine, a full member state of the United Nations, Russia violates three basic principles of the international law: respect for the territorial integrity of States; the commitment to resolve disputes by peaceful means and to refrain from the threat or use of force; and respect for political independence and non-intervention in the internal affairs of other States.
“This situation has created the conditions for an expansion of the current military confrontation in eastern Ukraine, affecting peace in the region and with the potential to spread to other countries that make up our organization. The echo of the weapons would also affect the economy, politics, and social stability of the entire region and would generate chaos in global markets, including the energy sector and food supply chains,” said Ambassador Blanco.
The Dominican Republic also urged the Security Council to proactively play its role as defender and promoter of international peace and security, making the necessary efforts to guarantee the rights proclaimed in the UN Charter.
FULL DECLARATION
Statement by the Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations, HE José A. Blanco, in the debate on item 67, “The situation of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine”, General Assembly, February 23, 2022.
Mr. president,
As a founding State of the United Nations, the Dominican Republic is committed to faithfully respecting the norms of international law, in particular those established in the Charter of this organization, to peaceful coexistence among peoples and the duties of solidarity among nations. .
It is a deep-rooted tradition of my country’s foreign policy, to work for peaceful solutions that respect the rights: those of others and our own, and abide by an international legal system that guarantees respect for fundamental rights, peace, justice, and the political, social and economic development of our peoples.
The crisis in Eastern Europe presents serious threats to regional and global security, while causing us deep concern. This is why we will not stop raising our voice at the current juncture.
Today, given the unilateral recognition as independent republics of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, an integral part of the territory of Ukraine, a full member state of the United Nations, Russia violates three basic principles of international law: respect for the territorial integrity of the states; the commitment to resolve disputes by peaceful means and to refrain from the threat or use of force; and respect for political independence and non-intervention in the internal affairs of other States.
This situation has created the conditions for an expansion of the current military confrontation in eastern Ukraine, affecting peace in the region and with the potential to spread to other countries that make up our organization. The echo of the weapons would also affect the economy, politics, social stability of the entire region and generate chaos in global markets, including the energy sector and food supply chains.
Distinguished colleagues
It is essential to remember that the United Nations Organization was created precisely to prevent wars and armed conflicts, a founding principle of our Constitutive Charter, and with which the States Parties have solemnly committed to resolve “their disputes by peaceful means.” It is time to rise to the occasion and channel the conversations towards the achievement of that noble purpose.
It is in light of these precepts that our country makes a vehement call to avoid a major conflagration. It is time to give priority, with urgency, to dialogue and diplomatic negotiation. We call for none of the parties involved to cross the line of contact and for an end to all interference in the internal affairs of other States, especially those that exacerbate passions or instigate violence.
The Dominican Republic does not accept that international law is being broken or that the international order based on freely accepted rules is being broken. In a scenario of violence and acts of force there would be no winner. We would all lose, no matter whether we are large or small states.
We call for a resumption of diplomatic dialogue within the framework of the Minsk agreements and we encourage the Normandy Quartet to move forward in this direction.
To conclude, we urge the Security Council to proactively play its role as defender and promoter of international peace and security, making the necessary efforts to guarantee the rights proclaimed in our Charter. Thank you very much.
