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As Russian aggression against Ukraine enters its third month, we continue to see reports of shelling of civilian targets, urban environments and civilian infrastructure causing maximum damage. Millions of refugees have already fled, while an even larger number of internally displaced people are rocking the country and the entire region. From images of people summarily executed in Bucha to the remains of the bombed-out Mariupol theater where hundreds of civilian refugees lost their lives, or the mass graves discovered around Kiev, Russia’s chosen war has caused immense suffering to the civilian population. There are many countries that have rallied in support of Ukraine, whether with military equipment to help it defend itself; through humanitarian aid, or opening their own homes to welcome refugees. But there is another important support of a different nature, political support for Ukraine in the international arena. In the face of this unprecedented aggression accompanied by the Russian propaganda machine and lies aimed at distorting reality on the ground as well as providing a false narrative of their unjustifiable struggle, we must speak, continue to tell the truth and mobilize support. for gathering and documenting facts about atrocities committed in Ukraine. The perpetrators of these crimes must and will be held accountable. We are encouraged by the unity of purpose that has emerged in relation to the documentation of crimes committed in Ukraine. We all agree on the importance of ensuring that whoever is responsible for the atrocities in Ukraine is held accountable in accordance with the rule of law. This is the main goal of this Arria-formula meeting organized by Albania and France in cooperation with Ukraine. This meeting will bring together Member States and key actors involved in documenting crimes committed in Ukraine to identify how such efforts can be supported and coordinated in order to ensure effective investigation and prosecution of those responsible for atrocities. I would also like to pay tribute to the independent professional investigative journalists, the work of your colleagues in the field, who are working in very difficult and challenging conditions, risking their lives to tell the truth, to tell the story of this meaningless. war. It was the horrific photos and reports that emerged from cities near Kiev that sparked global disgust as the first evidence of what constitutes systematic widespread violence against civilians, typical of atrocities. It is essential that all such crimes be fully documented and ultimately used in a court of law. This event will seek to mobilize all efforts, including the ICC, the HRC Commission of Inquiry for Ukraine, as well as Civil Society and GoF Accountability in Ukraine to ensure knowledge sharing between accountability mechanisms, UN member states through national prosecutions in states with universal jurisdiction over atrocities or jurisdiction over the crime of aggression and civil society. Justice and accountability must prevail, for Ukraine and the Ukrainians, but also for the entire international community, in order to restore confidence in multilateralism and international law that was shattered by Russia’s chosen war. Thank you!
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