NEW YORK, MAY 20 – Italy joined the EU and more than 40 UN Member States welcoming Ukraine’s application against Russia before the International Court of Justice. “We welcome Ukraine’s application against Russia before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which seeks to establish that Russia has no lawful basis to take military action in Ukraine on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations of genocide”, states a joint declaration released in Ottawa (Canada).
The declaration is signed also by Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States and the EU.
On February 25, a day after Russia’s attack, Ukraine took steps to challenge Russia’s allegations before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In its initiation of formal proceedings against Russia before the court, Ukraine argues that Russia’s justification for the invasion—allegations of genocide in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk—is false and an insufficient rationale for the use of force. On Feb. 26, Ukraine subsequently submitted a request for four provisional measures to protect its rights based on “the risk of irreparable prejudice and urgency.” This request includes an appeal to the court to order that Russia suspend military operations and ensure all actors take no further action in support of any such operations.
As the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, the ICJ is a pillar of the rules-based international order and has a vital role to play in the peaceful settlement of disputes, remark the Member states: “In these proceedings, the ICJ issued a significant ruling on March 16, 2022, which orders Russia to immediately suspend its military operations in Ukraine. We welcome the Court’s ruling and strongly urge Russia to comply with this legally binding order. Reaffirming our commitment to accountability and the rules-based international order, we hereby express our joint intention to explore all options to support Ukraine in its efforts before the ICJ and to consider a possible intervention in these proceedings”, reads their statement. (@OnuItalia)
