“He is also raising with the authorities the allegations regarding human rights violations, and meeting with a range of pro-Russian as well as pro-Ukrainian civil society representatives,” Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters in Geneva.
Mr. Šimonovic, the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, is in Ukraine to stress the “paramount” importance of ensuring respect for international human rights laws and standards during these difficult times, Ms. Shamdasani stated.
“He is assessing the human rights situation in the region, calling for respect for human rights and discussing options for the UN and international partners to assist in strengthening capacity on the ground where necessary.”
Mr. Šimonovic, who is based in New York, was dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on a week-long mission to Ukraine to continue the UN’s high-level engagement with the country, to assess the human rights situation, and to develop recommendations for further action.
Senior UN officials have appealed to all parties to de-escalate tensions and to engage in direct and constructive dialogue to forge a peaceful way forward in Ukraine, which has been witnessing unrest for several months.
- Tensions heightened last week as lawmakers in the autonomous Ukrainian region of Crimea, where additional Russian troops and armoured vehicles have recently been deployed, voted to join Russia and to hold a referendum on 16 March to validate the decision.
Mr. Šimonovic plans to travel to Crimea tomorrow, and then on to Lviv on Thursday.
So far during his visit, he has met with the Acting Foreign Minister, the Ombudsperson, human rights defenders, the diplomatic community and the various UN agencies working in the capital, Kiev. He is due to hold further high-level meetings there on Friday.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=47324&Cr=Ukraine&Cr1=#.Ux84L85ql5Y
11/3/14
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UN human rights emissary cancels trip to Crimea because airport refuses to receive flights....
ReplyDeleteIvan Simonovic, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, has canceled his trip to Crimea because an airport in the Crimean capital Simferopol is closed for flights coming from other parts of Ukraine.
Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general, confirmed to journalists earlier on Tuesday that Simferopol airport was closed to flights from other parts of Ukraine. He ruled out any possibility that Simonovic could arrive in Crimea via Moscow.
For the rest, the U.N. emissary’s plan remains unchanged. Simonovic visited Kharkov on Tuesday to meet the local authorities and representatives of civil society - both pro-Russian and those who are loyal to the authorities in Kiev. He is leaving for Lvov, Western Ukraine, on Wednesday.
Dujarric said that Simonovic was staying in Ukraine to assess the human rights situation in the country. The United Nations is considering a number of options for future actions, including the deployment of U.N. observers to monitor the situation in Ukraine.
Another United Nations emissary Robert Serry who made an attempt to visit Crimea last week had to return to Kiev after being turned away by unidentified armed men.
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/723057
11/3/14