JOINT STATEMENT OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE FOURTH SUMMITOF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMEA PLATFORM
On the occasion of the third anniversary of the establishment of the International Crimea Platform, taking into account the Joint Declaration of the International Crimea Platform, adopted in Kyiv on August 23, 2021, and the Joint Statements of the participants of the Second Summit of the International Crimea Platform on August 23, 2022, and the Third Summit of the International Crimea Platform on August 23, 2023,
taking into account the results of the First and Second Parliamentary Summits of the International Crimea Platform on October 25, 2022 in Zagreb and October 24, 2023 in Prague, as well as the First and Second Black Sea Security Conferences of the International Crimea Platform, on April 12-13, 2023 in Bucharest and April 14, 2024 in Sofia,
looking forward to the Third Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform in Riga, Latvia, in October 2024,
noting the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case “Ukraine against Russia (on Crimea)”, where the Court concluded that Russia, during its temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, has committed multiple violations of the European Convention on Human Rights,
referring to all relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly, including: 68/262 of March 27, 2014 “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”, ES-11/1 of March 2, 2022 “Aggression against Ukraine”, ES-11/2 of March 24, 2022 “Humanitarian Consequences of Aggression against Ukraine”, ES-11/4 of October 12, 2022 “Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”, ES-11/5 of November 14, 2022 “Furthering of remedy and reparation for aggression against Ukraine”, 77/229 of December 15, 2022 “Situation of human rights in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol”, ES-11/6 of February 23, 2023 “Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace in Ukraine”, 78/221 of December 19, 2023 “Human rights situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol”, as well as resolutions UN Human Rights Council 49/1 of March 4, 2022 “Situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression”, S-34/1 of May 12, 2022 “The deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression”, 52/ 32 of April 4, 2023 and 55/23 of April 4, 2024 “Situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression”, as well as reports of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, further recalling the Council of Europe Committee of Minister’s decisions CM/Del/Dec(2024)1500/2.5 of 10 June 2024 and CM/Del/Dec(2023)1477/2.4 of 4 October 2023 on the “Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences for the human rights situation in the Ukrainian territories temporarily controlled or occupied by the Russian Federation”, as well as its previous decisions on the matter,
We, the Participants of the Fourth Summit of the International Crimea Platform:
Express our respect for the courage, endurance and heroism of the Ukrainian people, who have been resisting Russias unprovoked, unjustifiable and illegal full-scale military invasion, and sympathise with the losses among the military forces of the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine and the civilian population suffering from the atrocities committed by the Russian Federation.
As we mark more than ten years of the illegal purported annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, we acknowledge in particular the continuous suffering of the people in Crimea and express our solidarity with them.
Continue to firmly uphold and affirm our unwavering support for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, extending to its territorial waters, and for Ukraine’s inherent right of self-defence against the Russian Federation’s unprovoked war of aggression. We demand that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders as of 1991.
Re-iterate our non-recognition of Russia’s illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, as well as the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia, which blatantly violates the UN Charter, and constitutes a direct threat to international security with grave implications for the international rules-based order. The Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, and Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions are Ukraine. Support Ukraine in its inherent right to defend itself and its people and liberate its territories temporarily occupied by Russia, including temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Сity of Sevastopol, and recognize the resilience of the residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, who continue to express their opposition to the illegal annexation. Declare our readiness to continue and increase political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support for Ukraine in the restoration of its territorial integrity, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. Reiterate that Russia bears full responsibility for the war it has started and for the massive damage caused by the war, and that all those responsible for war crimes must be held to account. We note progress on all corresponding justice efforts, including the establishment of a Register of Damage for Ukraine.
Welcome and continue to work on the outcomes of the First Global Peace Summit, which took place on June 15-16, 2024 in Switzerland, as an important step towards full respect for the rules-based international order and comprehensive, just and sustainable peace for Ukraine, based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law, and support the provisions of the “Joint Communiqué on a Peace Framework”.
Emphasise our support for the key principles and objectives of Ukraine’s Peace Formula, including sovereignty and restoration of territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, which is essential to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
Welcome the launch of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children to address the illegal deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation and to ensure their safe return.
Emphasise that the actions of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in particular the restriction of freedom of navigation in the Black and Azov Seas, severely challenge the maritime security in the region, gravely affect the security and stability of the Black Sea region, disrupt connectivity, threaten global food security and hamper the economic development of all littoral countries.
Condemn the actions of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine with regard to:
ongoing violations of international law, including human rights law and international humanitarian law. They include political persecution, sexual violence, arbitrary detentions, forcible transfers and incommunicado detention of civilians, torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, and other numerous reported human rights violations;
turning the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula into a heavily militarised outpost in the Black Sea, undermining security and stability in the Black Sea region, and using it for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine as well as a means to support the attempted illegal annexation of other Ukrainian regions;
attempts to deny or suppress Ukrainian identity, culture and language, including by mandating the use of the Russian education system and Russian language, withdrawal of Ukrainian textbooks from schools and libraries, strengthening control over information and telecommunications systems, limiting freedom of expression online and offline, conducting proactive disinformation and propaganda campaigns, inculcation of anti-Ukrainian sentiments, and suppression of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied Crimea;
reported persecution of and discrimination against members of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people and the prohibition and criminalisation of their legitimate representative bodies, which deprives them of the possibility to freely express, preserve and develop their identity and to maintain and develop their culture;
prohibition on the representatives of international organizations to visit the places of detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees on the territory of the Russian Federation and temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, preventing them from verifying that the conditions of their detention comply with the obligations under international humanitarian law;
illegal conscription of Crimean residents;
mandatory issuance of citizenship of the Russian Federation to residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine through forced “passportisation”;
illegal deportation and forcible transfer, as well as indoctrination of Ukrainian children and compelling them to accept Russian citizenship;
expropriation of state and private property and enterprises in the temporarily occupied territories, undercutting economic activity and exploitation of seized land for agricultural and other purposes;
depletion of natural resources, exploitation of Ukrainian subsoil and pollution of the ecosystem of the Black and Azov seas, including through engagement of vessels of the Russian Naval Forces in conducting its war of aggression against Ukraine;
the creation and use of transport infrastructure connecting the temporarily occupied Crimea with temporarily occupied parts of the eastern regions of Ukraine;
export of Ukrainian grain from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to third countries;
removal by the Russian Federation of cultural artifacts belonging to Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territories and the destruction of historical sites and cultural heritage objects.
We emphasise that
support for Ukrainian-led efforts, such as Ukraines Peace Formula and restoration of territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders are indispensable for achieving a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace.
The so-called “referenda” and “elections”, including the “Russian presidential elections” on March 15-17, 2024 held in the temporarily occupied parts of the territory of Ukraine, as well as those that Russia organised in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea on September 8, 2024, are null and void, and cannot produce any legal effect;
mobilisation and conscription by the Russian Federation of Ukrainian citizens from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine into Russian armed forces or forcing them to take part in hostilities against Ukraine contradict the Geneva Convention on the Protection of the Civilian Population in Time of War of August 12, 1949;
forced issuance of citizenship of the Russian Federation to residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine through forced passportisation does not establish grounds for loss of Ukrainian citizenship;
Ukraine is not in a position to ensure safety and security of foreign nationals who visit the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine;
contacts of foreign officials, businesses and the public with representatives of the Russian occupying forces in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine cannot be interpreted as conferring legitimacy on Russia’s intentions to legalise its attempted illegal annexation;
use of cartographic and other symbols (maps, diagrams, flags, etc.), depicting the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine as part of Russia are inconsistent with respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity under international law and with the law of Ukraine and should not contribute to Russias intention to legalise the annexation attеmpt;
situation in the ecological sphere in the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula continues to deteriorate, due to Russias refusal to provide information on the chemical weapons dumped in the Black Sea, thus posing a security risk for all littoral states.
We declare our readiness to continue and increase support for Ukraine aimed at restoring its territorial integrity, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol.
Once again, we reiterate our demands to the Russian Federation to release all political prisoners and other civilian detainees held in the context of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in particular, Iryna Danylovych, Vladyslav Yesypenko, Seyran Saliyev, Server Mustafayev, Emir-Usein Kuku, Iryna Horobtsova, Halyna Dovgopola, Servet Gaziev, Amet Suleimanov, Asan Ahtemov and Aziz Ahtemov, as well as OSCE officials Vadym Golda, Maxim Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov, and others.
We note:
The successes of Ukraines Armed Forces, including due to the military support provided to Ukraine by the partners, in securing a civilian maritime corridor in the Black Sea. This allowed for the restoration of the export of Ukrainian grain and other commodities to global markets, thereby creating a positive impact on global food security;
Ukraine’s efforts aimed at the de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea, as well as the promotion of the Crimean Tatar language, and support for persons detained in connection with the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and their families;
growing resistance of Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied Crimea, despite mass persecution of those who oppose the occupation, in particular the increasing number of acts of resistance and solidarity with mainland Ukraine;
need for further multidimensional activities of the Crimea Platform until Ukraine regains control of the Crimean peninsula, as well as the platform’s future potential as a mechanism to ensure consolidation of international efforts for reintegration, reconstruction and economic recovery of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol;
the importance of further activities of the experts network of the Crimea Platform, in particular with regard to monitoring of the situation on the temporarily occupied territory of the Crimean peninsula and providing information on activities of the occupying power.
We call on the international community to honour the memory of the victims of deportation of the Crimean Tatar people, committed by totalitarian Soviet regime 80 years ago, and reaffirm our commitment to prevent such tragedies from occurring again.
We recognise that, by defending itself against the aggressor Ukraine today is making a significant contribution to European and international security and we call for further increased political, diplomatic and sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation.
We emphasise that the cessation of the Russian Federation`s war of aggression against Ukraine and the restoration of sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders should be ensured for restoration of respect for the United Nations Charter and rules and principles of international law. We invite other states and organizations to consider joining the International Crimea Platform.